A Rose for the Champion
by TheFlagshipArkos
Summary: Jaune has made it into Beacon and now finds himself the leader of his own team; JSPR. Dark events lie in store at the hands of team CRME, can Jaune and his friends stop them? And how will the hapless knight react when two of his own team emerge as contenders for his affections?
1. Humble Beginnings

**As promised here it is, my second fic. the first few chapters will be mostly canon although following Jaune's viewpoint most likely. I do hope you enjoy.**

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><p>The blonde haired boy clutched his arms to his stomach and did his best to take slow and deliberate breaths, it was all that he could do in his efforts to prevent himself from emptying the contents of his disgruntled stomach right there and then. The airship's flight was not anywhere near as smooth as he had been hoping for and his motion sickness was playing up. The Airship itself was luxurious, furnished with deep carpets, couches and even vending machines. A testament to Beacon's high level of funding.<p>

At first his joy at being accepted into Beacon had been boundless, the school was perhaps the most prestigious of all the advanced combat schools that Remnant had to offer and the fact he had been granted a place there was cause enough for celebration, even if his application had been completed through certain... unorthodox means.

This boy was one Jaune Arc, the second youngest child of Louis and Mabel Arc and their only male child. He came from a proud line of hunters and huntresses, including each and every one of his older sisters. And now, that would include him too.

Jaune braved a brief glance out of a nearby window and caught his first glance of Beacon's campus, sure he had seen photographs of it but they couldn't truly do it justice. It was huge, a collection of buildings sprawling across a gigantic plateau above the city of Vale. The buildings were large and ornate, with towering pillars and sweeping arches. In the centre was the famed 'Emerald Tower', a huge clock tower set with gigantic sheets of green stained-glass. The sun shone brightly hitting the tower and bathing half of the campus in a soft green light and giving it an altogether unearthly appearance. His fellow passengers around him looked on with gasps of amazement and murmurs of appreciation.

He was forced to tear his gaze away from the sight as fresh waves of nausea washed over him. He stared at the carpet at his feet, studying every inch as though it were the most fascinating thing on Remnant in an effort to calm his rebellious stomach.

In the background he caught snatches of speech from a holographic display screen a short way away. From what he could gather it was another news report about a string of dust robberies believed to be carried out by the notorious criminal Roman Torchwick. A thief whom had been terrorizing Vale in recent weeks.

In addition to that there was brief mention of another violent protest by the 'White Fang', an infamous terrorist group using violent means to establish equality for the Faunus. They attacked dust-shipments from companies which exploited Faunus labour and struck out a human-supremacist meetings often leaving death and destruction in their wake.

The news reporter was cut short as the broadcast was replaced with a holographic projection of a blonde woman. Jaune looked up at the apparition with renewed interest, his motion-sickness temporarily pushed to the back of his mind.

The projected woman was quite tall, although whether that was because she was wearing heels Jaune couldn't tell. She was relatively young, appearing to be no older that her mid thirties, and she looked great for it. She was clad in a simple white blouse and black skirt hemmed sharply just above the knee. Her eyes were of a entrancing green colour and sat behind a set of square framed glasses. She bore herself a stern yet not unkind expression, if Jaune had to sum her up in one word it would have been 'precise'.

Everything about this mystery woman had its place and seemed rather efficient, nothing being without purpose. Save for one thing, her cape. It hung from her shoulders and down to around her knee level. It had no order to it, following a swirling design that seemed somewhat out of place amongst the rest of her outfit. She was beautiful but not in the traditional sense, rather she was beautiful in a 'I'll break you if you try anything funny' sense.

_'Who is she?' _Jaune wondered.

"Good afternoon, I am Glynda Goodwitch-" Jaune internally face-palmed as the holograph introduced itself.

"I am a professor here at Beacon. We are fortunate to be experiencing a wondrous time of peace and prosperity, and as future huntsmen and huntresses it shall one day be your responsibility to uphold that peace. Please be aware that you shall be arriving soon, prepare yourselves and allow me to be the first to say; 'Welcome to Beacon'."

Jaune sat and pondered the professor's words. Goodwitch was right of course, here he was about to attend perhaps the most prestigious academy that the world had to offer. His situation dawned on him bringing about a profound sense of realisation that this wasn't just some distant moment in his future, but that it was really happening. His family had given him no indication of what they could expect, they had simply given him the family sword Crocea Mors and sent him on his way. He couldn't help but resent that a little, all his older siblings had their own custom weapons which had been built especially for them but he as the only male heir had been forced into using the family heirloom.

His musings were interrupted by a gurgling sound rising from his stomach. The blonde's eyes widened in horror as he knew exactly what it meant. His stomach had finally had enough of being ignored and was about to make a statement.

Panic welled up in him as he shot to his feet and anxiously scanned the airship's lavish interior for any sign of a potential receptacle for his breakfast. He knew that eating such a large meal before flying had been a thoroughly bad idea but his mother had insisted. Hope rose within him as he caught a glimpse of a sign pointing to the craft's onboard bathrooms. He set of at a run diving and dodging around his fellow passengers hoping to get to safety before the ticking time-bomb that was his stomach went off.

He bolted round a corner and caught a brief glimpse of gold before colliding with something soft and hitting the ground with a subtle thud. Jaune started as he came to his senses and found that he was entangled with a somewhat annoyed looking blonde girl. Quick as he could muster he climbed to his feet apologising fervently and offered her his hand. She took it and hauled herself to her feet rubbing the back of her head.

"You should watch where you're going!"

She was quite tall with long and flowing golden hair. Her eyes were a calm lilac, a strong contrast to the look of annoyance burning within them. She was clad in a brown leather jacket under which was a yellow t-shirt marked with what appeared to be a burning heart. The jacket was open at the front to allow for her sizeable 'assets'. Around her neck was tied an orange scarf and on her wrists were a strange pair of bracelets, the likes of which Jaune had never seen. They were bright gold and trimmed with black. Her lower legs were covered by her knee high platform boots and around her left leg was tied a single piece of blue cloth. Around her waist was hung a strange half-skirt, it covered her behind but left the front open allowing view to her black short-shorts. She was gorgeous by all accounts.

"Relax Yang, I'm sure he didn't mean it!" a soft and high pitched voice said.

Stood besides Yang was another smaller girl. She looked as though little red riding hood had leapt straight off of the pages of a story book and into reality. That is if little red riding hood had carried around .50 calibre rounds on a belt around her waist. The smaller girl had short-ish black hair tinged with red that fell around her face framing the most captivating silver eyes Jaune had ever seen. Her attire itself did seem to be a carbon copy of little red riding hood, a simple corseted skirt of red and black accompanied by a plain black belt. Her belt buckle was elaborately shaped into a rose.

Jaune opened his mouth to agree but at that very moment the dust-ship lurched. With a slight heave the poor motion-sick blonde lost a portion of his breakfast...straight onto the toe one of Yang's boots. He looked to her in horror waving his hands in front of him as to signal that he hadn't meant it. Her eyes were no longer lilac but had flared an angry red, and the flowing golden locks of her hair were tinged with flame.

He soon found out the nature of her bracelets as, with a series of mechanical clicks and whirring sounds, they transformed into a pair of fearsome looking gauntlets before his very eyes. Jaune backed away with a look akin to that of a frightened rabbit in his eyes. Little red had leapt onto Yang and was desperately trying to wrench her away from him as Yang cocked back a fist.

It was like watching David and Goliath in reality as the little rose girl struggled to reign in the raging blonde and calm her down.

"Yang, stop!" She pleaded to the taller blonde. Yang's eyes transitioned back into their lilac, although a hint of red was still present.

"Ruby, he puked on my shoe! These are brand new!"

Jaune blushed bright enough to be mistaken for a traffic light as he went into his pocket and pulled out his handkerchief. He sheepishly offered it up to the angry blonde before him.

"I-I'm sorry about your shoe. I didn't mean to, honest! P-please take this to clean it?" He stammered, praying to all the gods both known and unknown that he would make it out of this alive.

Yang gave him a glare and slowly reached out taking his favour. She stooped down and proceeded to wipe clean the brown leather of her boots. Once done she handed the soiled cloth back to him, the look in her eyes cooling back down as the anger dissipated.

"Accidents happen right?" Yang grumbled before walking away, the young redhead in tow.

"See you round!" Ruby called back to him.

Jaune was left alone once again. He slumped to the floor against the cabin's wall in defeat and stared at the ominous damp patch in the carpet where he had hurled mere moments before.

_'Good going Jauney, you're not even at Beacon yet and already you've thrown up on a girl's shoe and nearly been beaten up...' _He thought sarcastically venom flowing through his mind's voice.

The only silver lining to this cloud was that his stomach seemed to have settled down now, he glared at the carper in frustration. He just wanted the flight to be over, things had to get better once he was back on solid ground.

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><p>The aircraft docked and Jaune barrelled off, pushing past people in his rush. He looked about frantically until at last he found what he was looking for. He made a beeline for it moving as fast as his legs could carry him, Crocea Mors banging against his leg uncomfortably.<p>

He wrapped his hands round the rim of the trash can the moment he reached it and loosed the remainder of his breakfast in an angry torrent. The back of his throat burned when he eventually finished heaving. His hands were trembling as he wiped his mouth on the back of his glove. He took deep breaths to calm himself.

An earth-shattering explosion rang out making him jolt and dive to the ground. He looked up just in time to see a huge fireball billow into the sky accompanied by what he thought was...ice? The smoke and dust cleared to reveal an angry looking girl in white shouting at the same little redhead from before. Although he couldn't make out what they were saying it was clear that the girl in white wasn't best pleased.

The blonde staggered back to his feet and made his way over to what was now a sizeable crater in front of the campus. In the epicentre lay a somewhat dazed and confused Ruby. He arrived just as the girl in white stormed off. He made his way over to her skirting around blasted and scorched pieces of luggage as well as the odd disgruntled servant. He stepped into Ruby's view and offered his hand with a smile. She nervously took it and he helped her to her feet.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked softly. She nodded in response and looking him up and down.

"Aren't you the guy that threw up on the ship?" she giggled.

Jaune blushed bright red in embarrassment.

"Y-yeah, but motion-sickness is a lot more common than people let on y'know?"

"Whatever you say Vomit-boy." She replied, a smug grin on her face. She was clearly quite proud of the nickname she had just given him.

"It was an accident! I couldn't help it. You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time is all. W-what should I start calling you Crater-face?" he said getting more flustered by the minute.

"I'm sorry, Vomit-boy was the first thing that came to mind." she explained defensively as she tried to backpedal.

"W-well my names Jaune, Jaune Arc. Short, sweet rolls off the tongue. Ladies love it." He said with a wink. Though he would never admit it, he had been practising that line in front of a mirror ever since he got his acceptance letter.

"Do they?" Ruby giggled and raised her eyebrow.

"T-they will, or at least I hope they will..." Jaune looked at the ground. This was not good, his attempts at conversation were beginning to flounder.

"Well, pleased to meet you Jaune. I'm Ruby. Ruby Rose." She offered her hand which Jaune shook.

The two walked together in awkward silence for a long while, Jaune whistled quietly to himself, unsure of what to say or do. Surprisingly enough it was the little Rose next to him that broke the silence. Her face lit up adorably as she retrieved a large metal object from underneath her cape.

"Soooo I got this..."

She hit a button on its side and it began to whir and click, just like Yang's bracelets had done on the airship, as it unfolded before his very eyes into a large scythe more than six feet in length. It was painted the same colour as its wielder's hood and had a spear tip on the base of its haft. The blade was long and curved, honed to a keen edge. But perhaps strangest of all was the scope and magazine protruding from two thirds of the way up its haft.

"I-is that a scythe?"

"Its also a high impact sniper rifle" she responded, caressing the weapon as though it were her very own child. She sighed softly as she caught his blank expression.

"Its also a gun." She explained, pulling back the bolt and cocking the weapon as though to illustrate her point. The little Reaper looked at Jaune expectantly, with an embarrassed look he unsheathed his family's sword and offered it up for her inspection.

"I-I don't have anything as cool as that. I have this, my grandfather fought with it during the war."

Ruby scrutinised Crocea Mors under a trained eye from its blue leather wrapped hilt to the very tip of the long sword's blade, Pausing to appraise every scratch, nick and dint that the weapon had accumulated over its lengthy history.

"Well I like it! Not enough people have an appreciation for the classics these days." she said with a smile.

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><p>After half an hour of hapless wandering around the campus, both the little Reaper and her Knight companion found their way to Beacon's vast auditorium. It was a huge place packed full of all different kinds of people from all walks of life. There were faunus and human alike of all shapes and sizes, although Jaune noticed the two groups tended to stick with their own kind.<p>

Off to their left they heard a voice calling out Ruby's name, the two turned to see Yang calling to her and waving emphatically. Jaune looked at the blonde bombshell I a new light, During their wanderings Ruby had explained that Yang was her half-sister by their mother. Before he could respond Ruby had bid him goodbye and rushed over to stand by her sister leaving him alone once again. He contemplated following after but decided against it.

"Great, now where am I gonna find another quirky girl to talk to?" He muttered under his breath with a sigh. It was at that moment he could've sworn someone was watching him, a tingle ran down his spine as he turned around, casting a look for any watchers. When he found nothing he shrugged moving deeper into the crowds hoping to find a better spot from which he could see the stage.

Before long two figures stepped out from stage right. Jaune recognised one as Glynda Goodwitch, the same professor from the hologram during the flight. She was accompanied by a man whom Jaune didn't know.

He was an older man judging by the grey of his hair and was garbed in a dark green suit, seemingly tailored given how well it fit him. He looked as if he was about to laugh and cry all at once, his shoulders hunched like he was carrying the weight of the world upon them. He leant upon a cane with one hand and in the other held a white china mug with the Beacon crest emblazoned across it. There was little else about him save for a voluminous green scarf and a pair of small round spectacles, perched precariously upon the bridge of his nose. Goodwitch introduced him as _the_ professor Ozpin. The mysterious headmaster of Beacon and the same man that had been training remnants strongest huntsmen and huntresses for close to a decade.

Ozpin wearily made his way to centre stage where a microphone was set up for him. He began his address to the wide eyed initiates before him, although his overall message was far from uplifting.

"I'll...keep this brief. You have traveled here today in search of knowledge-to hone your craft and acquire new skills-and when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose-direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step."

The somewhat confused students applauded politely as Ozpin finished and once again left the stage, allowing Goodwitch to step up to the Microphone again.

"Thank you, that shall be all for today. Tonight you will all convene in the ballroom. I would suggest using this time wisely to prepare yourselves and your equipment as well as getting a good night's sleep ready for initiations tomorrow. You are dismissed."

Jaune followed after the crowds to the ballroom, where their luggage had supposedly been taken for them. Unbeknownst to him, from within the depths of the crowd two emerald eyes surrounded by fiery red locks watched him go. The watcher smiled to herself before she in turn made to follow after him being sure to keep a reasonable distance between them. There was something special about this blonde boy... and one thing was for certain, it would be fun finding out just what.

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><p><strong>Oh what mystery! Who could this mysterious watcher be I wonder? Hope you all enjoyed this, I'll be updating roughly once a week if my schedule permits. This shall remain my secondary fic depending on how well it is received. Please follow, favourite and above all review so that I might try and get this off the ground and flowing properly. If you haven't already please do check out 'The Sword and Spear' and I'll see you all in the next chapter<strong>


	2. An Initiation for the Ages

**Ladies and Gents welcome back to 'A Rose for the Champion'. I do apologise for the lack of progress with this fic so far, to tell the truth I wasn't fond of how I'd written it. It seemed very half-assed and like I was rushing it, but I believe that stagnant period is at an end. I have for you a completely re-written version of the initiation, one that I genuinely loved writing. Hopefully you'll find it a little bit more exciting. Without any further ado, please do enjoy.**

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><p>Beacon cliffs, the official border of the school campus and the final frontier before the wild, untamed, Grimm infested and sprawling sea of green that was the Emerald forest. Jaune and the other initiates all stood upon these cliffs, before them was a harsh thousand foot drop descending into what Jaune was sure to be a seething ocean of orange eyes and gnashing teeth, all of which would rip him apart without a moment's thought.<p>

It was chilly to say the least, gusts of icy wind blew across the cliff top whipping his hair around as though it were a sea of snakes and sending shivers down his spine. He pulled on the cords of his hoodie, drawing it in tighter around his neck in an effort to seal in whatever warmth he could. It didn't work anywhere near as well as he had hoped, if anything it had made his situation worse for now his hands were cold too. He jammed them back into his pockets. Looking around, none of the other initiates seemed to be effected by the cold.

Professors Ozpin and Goodwitch were stood just in front of him, grimaces on their faces. It was Ozpin that was the first to speak although it was difficult to make out his words through the relentless howling of the wind. The knight strained his hearing and if he closed his eyes could make out his words.

"Initiates. I have gathered you here this morning for your initiation, your first assignment as potential students here at Beacon. Your respective training has prepared you for this very moment. In a few moments we are going to launch you into the forest you see behind me. You will be falling and it shall be up to each of you to fix that." He smirked and continued. "Should any of you feel that you aren't up to this task please feel free to step away now. You shall not be judged for doing so."

The professor left a short pause for those whom might want to bow out to do just that. Jaune looked around at his fellow initiates but none of them seemed to so much as move. They all stared straight ahead with single-minded determination etched onto their faces. Jaune looked deep within himself and wondered whether or not he should just leave now and save himself the trouble. If what the Professor had said was true then he was about to be catapulted into a forest teeming with monsters that wanted little more than to rip him apart for their own amusement.

He was just a squishy seventeen year old human boy, he had yet to kiss a girl or even hold hands with one. What business did he have at Beacon? This was a school for people that had dedicated their whole lives to training to be huntsmen and huntresses. He didn't have that behind him, he had cheated, faked his transcripts and lied.

Yet, for some reason his body refused to move. It stayed, solid and resolute against his commands. Deep inside himself, he felt a burning desire to go on and prove everyone else wrong. He may not have had the training or transcripts but if he had one thing it was passion, desire and heart.

"Good."Ozpin nodded cutting his deliberations short. "As I said, you shall be falling and it will be down to yourselves to devise a landing strategy for yourselves. Once you are safely back on solid ground within the forest you shall be sent a message on your scrolls containing the instructions for your next task. Good luck to you all." He finished and stepped back allowing Goodwitch to move in and say her piece. Unlike the soft spoken headmaster, Jaune had no troubles hearing Goodwitch's voice over the gale swirling around them.

"Good morning, you may have heard news and rumour concerning the assignment of teams. This is indeed the case. Once you have landed in the forest, you will be assigned partners. Given that this person will remain your partner for the next four years it would be a good idea to choose someone you can work well wi-"

"Your partner will be the first person you make eye contact with after landing." Ozpin chimed in, interrupting and cutting off Goodwitch mid-stream. If she was annoyed or surprised at his statement she didn't show it. Her poker-face held up well save for a couple of slight twitches of her eye. Jaune however was utterly flabbergasted, surely this couldn't be the case. It _had_ to be some kind of cruel joke. It seemed that he wasn't the only one of the initiates to believe so, murmurs went up between them carried along to him by the wind. Yet no punchline was forth coming.

"Yes, as Headmaster Ozpin said, your partner will be the first student that you make eye contact with upon landing. A final word of advice, this forest is filled with Grimm of all kinds so be prepared for anything. Do not hesitate to cut down any that stand in your way or you will die. You shall be monitored along your way by our instructors, however, they will not intervene. Best of luck and prepare yourselves for launch."

Jaune was still in shock even as the other students readied themselves. He stood slack-jawed with his eyes flitting between the two professors. It seemed so mad, so harebrained for those to be the conditions of their initiation. There had to be a mistake yet before he could voice his concerns the ground under his feet clicked and emitted a high pitched whistle. With the sudden rush of air running past his ears he and the other initiates were catapulted up and away from the cliffs, high into the blue of the skies.

The professors watched them go, their eyes tracking the students' progress across the ceiling of the world. As they faded to little more than specks against the vast blue backdrop Goodwitch turned to her old friend.

"Ozpin, do you really think this partnership method is wise?" She asked.

"I don't see why not, it should at the very least add an... interesting spin to the proceedings."

"These are the hunters and huntresses of the future, shouldn't they be with the people they chose? Wouldn't having the teammates they want influence and aid their studies?"

"And how often to people of their age know exactly what they want? Glynda I have made more mistakes than any man, woman or child on this earth. I do not believe this to be one of them. Let us at least watch how it plays out."

"As you wish Professor Ozpin." She replied taking the professional tone she often did whenever he had succeeded in agitating her. He merely smirked and opened up his scroll to watch the initiates' progress.

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><p>The whole world span in sickening circles as Jaune flew, driving his stomach to madness. He felt a mixture of sensations made up mostly of; exhilaration, fear and the greatest desire to hurl that he had ever felt. He assessed his situation grimly and was far from fond of his findings.<p>

He was spinning out of control over a thousand feet from the bone shattering ground below, not a good start. His first port of call was to stop his world from spinning quite so violently, that would at least increase his chances of survival from 'zero' to 'virtually non-existent'. He threw his arms and legs out wide just like he had seen skydivers do on television back home. Gradually he stopped somersaulting and levelled out. That was better, now what was his situation.

Looking down, Jaune estimated that he had a good thousand feet's worth of free-fall left before he plowed face first into the dirt and ceased to exist. That gave him maybe a minute at most to compose himself a 'landing strategy'. Looking around frantically he caught sight of what appeared to be a lake set within a large clearing. His eyes lit up at the sight that looked to be his way of surviving this mess.

With great care he angled his body to control his descent and move himself forwards. He would only have one shot at this so by the gods he couldn't afford to mess it up. As the ground came closer Jaune began to panic, it still seemed so damned far away, he would never make it in time! He leant forward as much as he dared, lending speed to his path. His whole body began to ache as he fought against the air and its efforts to send him spiralling out of control once again.

Three hundred feet. Jaune braced himself for what would undoubtedly be one of the worst baths of his life, the water was crystal clear but looked painfully cold. Two hundred feet. He grit his teeth and braced for impact. One hundred feet. Was it deep enough? No time now! He closed his eyes, drew into a cannonball and fervently hoped for survival. Splash.

There were many words that Jaune would later use to describe his 'quick dip' in the lake during initiation yet cold never seemed severe enough. It felt as though his whole body had been put into a tailored suit of ice, snow and every other cold thing he could name. It took the breath straight out of his lungs. He fought his frozen body to begin swimming up. His lungs burned for want of oxygen and for a moment it seemed as though he might never break the surface.

He flailed and swam his way to the lake shore. He got the sand beneath his feet and crawled his way up and out of the water, chest heaving as he drew in lungfuls of air.

"There was no way...In hell...That... Should've worked..." He managed to whisper between breaths. It was true, it was a miracle and sheer blind luck that the lake had been deep enough to break his fall and prevent his body ending up a broken mess at the bottom of an unknown lake.

He lay on the shore looking up at the sky watching the clouds float by through the sky. As he lay there, he almost forgot that he was in a Grimm infested forest on an initiation assignment for the most illustrious hunter school in all of Remnant. It was also the reason he failed to see the ripples run across the surface of the water, or hear the water begin to lap at the shore with increased vigour.

Bright red eyes, burning with hatred watched from below the surface. Multiple appendages clawed at the lake bed pulling a foul black beast towards the shore. The first of these tentacles slid out of the water, soundless save for the sound of the multitude of drips cascading off and back to the surface.

Jaune felt a change in the wind, flocks of birds flew up and out of the trees. His eyes narrowed in suspicion something wasn't right. Before he could work out what was happening he felt a sudden pressure on his ankle. Quite before he could react he was pulled along and up into the air left dangling. A long black tentacle had wrapped itself around his ankle and ran back into the water. Even as he watched on, the lake's surface churned violently as a black bulbous head emerged, two bright red eyes glared at him as the monster roared. Row upon row of teeth ran down the beast's throat. The white bone plating covered the upper part Grimm's face He flailed wildly trying to break the creatures hold.

Jaune's eyes landed on his sword, by some miracle it was still in its sheath, a fact he was eternally grateful for. Swinging his arms he latched onto the blue leather wrapped hilt of his family's sword and drew it. The blade gleamed in the light of the clearing as he brought it to bear on this marine Grimm's tentacle. Crocea Mors skittered across the monsters hide with every swing, he simply couldn't get the force behind his blows.

It seemed hopeless, his eyes widened in fear as the Grimm moved him so that he was dangling over its mouth. This was it, he was about to die right there and then. Eaten by some god awful beast of the depths without ever having kissed a girl or experiencing love. Yet he wasn't going out quietly, he had come into this world kicking and screaming and he would be damned if he wasn't going out the same way. He hacked away at the tentacle for all that he was worth, doing his very best to at least hurt the beast in some way.

The loud crack of a gunshot rang out through the clearing and almost almost in sync with the sound, a small hole roughly the size of a penny was ripped into the tentacle just below where it held his ankle. Blood exploded out from the wound and the beast loosed a blood curdling cry of pain, he covered his ears with a cry of his own. The roar covered a further two shots that rang out tearing into the monster and cutting off the portion holding his ankle.

Jaune seemed to hang in the air for a moment before the tip of the tentacle separated in a spray of blood. The blonde gave a cry as he began to fall back towards the lake surface. He collided with the Grimm's face plating and off into the icy waters once again. For the second time that day chills flew through his body.

He made his way to the bank once again and was seized by the collar of his hoodie. With surprising strength he was pulled out of the water shivering and bedraggled. He struggled to force his feet under his unruly body. And jogged along with his saviour, he looked up to see bronze coloured metal and a the brightest red hair of all.

He collapsed back to the dirt when they stopped moving. He lay there panting heavily, struggling to suck in the oxygen he needed. His scraggly blonde hair lay in a thick wet mat across his forehead. With the seeming respite in their struggle he took the chance to look up at his saviour, and got his first good look at her, for it was indeed a she.

She was tall and of the fairest skin. Bright red hair cascaded down her back like a river of liquid fire and was held back by a golden circlet. She was adorned in a bronze armoured corset with gold trim. Her waist was covered by a short red combat skirt with a flowing red drape. Three black leather ammunition pouches hung from a leather belt around her waist. She was stood low in a 'ready' stance. In her hands she held a red and golden spear and on her left arm was a golden bracer and a bronze round-shield. She looked elegant and regal, a true goddess of battle.

Using Crocea Mors for support he climbed to his feet, she seemingly heard him and turned around to face him. He wasn't expecting however, the deep emerald eyes that met him. They were incredible, the most prized gems in the four kingdoms. All words left him as he looked upon her face.

"T-thanks for saving me... I thought I was done for." He managed to croak out past the lump in his throat.

"It was my-" She was interrupted by the Grimm's roars of anger. Oh yeah... There was still that to deal with. She frowned and looked over to the monster almost analytically. She seemed to look at the Grimm for any sign of its weaknesses.

"What _is_ that thing?" Jaune asked nervously.

"Its a Kraiken. A rare form of Grimm only found in water."

Jaune nodded and returned his attention to the Kraiken. It was flailing its tentacles around violently and perhaps most disturbingly it was pulling its horrendous form out of the lake and across dry land towards them. The lake in which it still half rested was murky and darkened by the blood oozing from the damaged tentacle, long gone was the once clear blue of the waters. Jaune gave a groan and for the first time readied himself in earnest for battle. He looked over to his saviour who gave him a confident smile.

"Any ideas?"

"None, other than its tentacles there isn't anywhere we can really harm with our weapons."

Jaune found that hard to believe, he looked over every bit of the creature trying to determine where its weakest points were. Armour plating covered its entire face save for the eyes, taking those out would be difficult and yet not totally impossible. He dismissed the idea, given how erratically the creature was behaving it was unlikely that his savour would be able to hit her targets without expending the majority of her bandoleers.

No, that wouldn't do. The only other unarmoured place on its body, aside from the tentacles was the back of its bulbous head, the large sack type part which he could only assume contained the brain. The issue was exactly how to get there without being ensnared and eaten by the Kraiken. Not an easy task.

With a hoarse cry he charged at the creature and began to swing at any tentacle which seemed brave enough to come near him. His plan seemed to be working until one of them flew in and grasped him, yet rather than going in for the kill as he might have expected. It flung him high into the air and behind it. The world span as he reached the arc of his flight and began to once again hurtle back towards the ground. He landed in the lake for the third time that day behind the beast.

The Grimm seemed not to notice his presence behind it, his saviour keeping it occupied from infront. The back of its head wobbled about not ten metres away from him. With a grimace from the exertion he swam his way over towards the beast. Its hide within his reach as he switched the grip on his sword to one better suited to stabbing.

He drew back his arm and with a hoarse cry brought his arm forward and plunged it into the back of the Grimm. To say the beast's blood poured out would have been a severe understatement, it erupted. A fountain of blood, back as night flew from the beast as he dragged his blade downwards further rending the Grimm's flesh and creating a gaping chasm from which the Kraiken's life essences poured.

The Kraiken flailed its tentacles as one last terror instilling roar tore from its mouth. In an effort to silence the sound, Jaune drove his sword deep into the monster and ever further into its brain. With a final squeal and a weak yet futile flail the colossal marine grim ceased thrashing and lay still. Dead.

Jaune swam his way to the shore and hauled his sorry self out, collapsing once again on the solid ground. His saviour made his way over until she stood over him. He looked up at her with soft eyes, a gaze which she seemed to eagerly return.

"P-please...No more baths today...I'm clean now." He whimpered. His third escapade into the lake's waters had been anything but pleasant, nor had it been any warmer. At his remark the girl's look turned to one of amusement before she broke into a fit of giggles. To Jaune it was one of the nicest laughs he had heard. It was crystal clear and melodic in nature, seeming almost to resonate within him. She offered him a hand up which he eagerly took. Crocea Mors was returned to its sheath though he knew he would need it again.

"An excellent kill. Not many encounter a Kraiken and live to tell the tale."

"Thank you, though I doubt I'd have been around to tell the tale if you hadn't have shown up." He smiled wistfully. Quite suddenly he offered her his hand "I-I'm Jaune by the way. Jaune Arc"

"Pyrrha Nikos. Pleased to meat you." She beamed back shaking his hand. The smile never left her face the whole while.

"So, I guess this makes us partners." He grinned glad to have ended up paired with someone so confident. She seemed nice enough. As though to confirm his statement, both their scrolls bleeped simultaneously. Jaune retrieved his to find a message from Ozpin.

_"Congratulations to Jaune Arc and Pyrrha Nikos on the formation of your partnership. It is my firm hope that you enjoy your time together at Beacon academy. As a further point we would like to extend our gratitude to you for removing the Kraiken from that region of the forest, it was beginning to prove quite troublesome to say the least. Your next task is a simple enough one, you are to head North working your way through the forest until you reach an ancient ruin. It is within that ruin that you will find a selection of relics. Retrieve one of these relics and return to the top of Beacon cliffs. Do not hesitate to cut down anything that gets in your way. Good luck and may the odds be ever in your favour."_

Jaune groaned as he finished reading the message, they had survived the fall and now they had to hike for miles through some gods forsaken forest to retrieve a relic, only then to walk the whole way back through the forest to climb the cliff and finish initiation. Great.

He looked to his new partner with a fatigued smile this was not how he had imagined things going, he had imagined initiation to be relatively easy. Oh how wrong he was. Blood rolled down his forehead and into his eye from a hitherto undiscovered cut. He caught his partner's gaze as she looked at him curiously.

"Jaune, why haven't you used your aura to heal that cut?" Came her question.

"My what?" He asked in return, thoroughly confused.

"Your aura? You do know what an aura is don't you?"

He blushed brightly and tried to hold her gaze but in the end he couldn't. He had no idea what aura was, and once she found out she would most likely not want to be his partner anymore. It sounded important whatever it was.

"N-no..." He said barely above a whisper and looked down at his feet. To his surprise she didn't seem annoyed or upset, rather she stepped forward and hooked a finger beneath his chin bringing his eyes to meet hers once again.

"It's alright Jaune, close your eyes."

"P-Pyrrha?"

"Just trust me." She smiled. Jaune did as he asked and as he did the air around them began to hum with energy, a hidden power he had never felt before. It was then that he first heard her begin to speak though not externally. Her voice was in his head, resonating throughout his very being. The words she said would stay with him for the rest of his life.

_'__For it is in passing that we achieve immortality, through this we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I release your soul, and by my shoulder, protect thee.'_

A rush ran through his body filling him with new-found energy and sending a shiver down his spine. The aches and pains of his body faded away as a cooling sensation bloomed around his various cuts, bruises and scrapes. The cut above his eye sealed itself in mere moments, he felt incredible! He could even go so far as to say that he felt _better _than when he had entered the forest.

"W-what _was _that?" He asked, exasperated.

"I unlocked your aura and It got to work on healing your body." She smiled.

"That's incredible! What else can it do?" He was eager to learn more about this mysterious power within himself. What else was he capable of doing with it?

"Aura can be used to heal us and protect us from harm."

"L-like a forcefield?"

"I guess you could say that yes, however it is limited by your aura reserves and these vary from person to person. The bigger the amount of aura a person has, the more they can do with it before exhausting their reserves. You have a _lot_." She smiled. "Come on, we should make our way to these ruins, I'll tell you more about it on the way."

She set off walking at a leisurely pace out of the clearing and into the densely packed forest. He followed after her listening intently as she explained the uses and variations in aura, he was determined to learn all that he possibly could about it. After all, his very life may one day depend on it.

Before long they had left the clearing far behind them, the dissipating corpse of the Kraiken little more than a distant memory, and a foul one at that. Yet despite their hostile environment undoubtedly brimming with evil monsters, Jaune couldn't deny the beauty of the forest, the way the sunlight shone through the canopy overhead, bathing everything in a wholesome green light. It was stunning.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile back on top of the cliffs, both professors Ozpin and Goodwitch stood watching events unfold with avid interest. The brutal wind still swirled around them seeking to drive its chill into their very bones.<p>

"The final pairs have been established professor. Pyrrha Nikos and Jaune Arc. Poor girl, I simply can't imagine that working out."

"Perhaps Glynda, we shouldn't be so hasty in our judgement. The two did bring down a Kraiken and that is no mean feat."

"You saw him, he was getting knocked around like a rag doll! He didn't even have an aura."

"Yes, and I also saw him seize advantage of an opportunity and kill the beast. Everything is subjective. Despite not having a protective barrier he still charged the beast in order to kill it, that is bravery. We cannot judge them fully until we have seen them taxed to the very best of their abilities."

She growled in frustration earning yet another smile from her old friend. He had a point however, perhaps she was being overly hasty to cast aspersions on the young blonde. He _was _an Arc after all, that had to count for something didn't it?

"Either way, we will find out soon enough. They will be arriving at the ruins shortly."

* * *

><p>Crumbling and shattered stones lay in a half circle before them, the last remaining evidence of a lost era. Jaune grinned at the sight, glad to have finally made it through the woods and onto the next part of their initiation. The forest itself seemed to end abruptly leaving them on a grassy plain. The treeline stood almost unnaturally straight behind them, as though the forest knew not to grow any further.<p>

As they approached it seemed they weren't the only ones to have gotten this far, this was to be expected of course, Several other people were stood in the centre of the ruins looking over a ring of monoliths, each one with a small statue on top. They looked to be... Chess pieces?

"How about a cute li'l pony?" One of them said stepping forward and seizing the white knight piece. It was Yang, there was only one person with such an incredibly well kept waterfall of golden hair.

"Hey guys!" Jaune called out as he jogged over to meet them. Yang turned around to see him.

"Hey there Vomit-Boy." She grinned.

"I'm never gonna live that one down am I?" He groaned hearing his 'nickname'.

"Nope!" She chirped back. "Oh, this is my partner Blake." She gestured to the girl next to her. She was pretty enough, dressed all in black. On her back she carried a large bladed weapon and ribbons wound round her arms all the way up.

"Hey, I'm Jaune." He offered his hand, yet she didn't respond at all. He looked to Yang for help.

"Ah don't worry about it, she's always like that. Heck she's barely spoken a word since we got partnered." Blake rolled her eyes, but a slight smirk grew on her face, hardly noticeable but it was certainly there.

"This is my partner, Pyrrha." Jaune proclaimed proudly as he sought to end the awkward silence between them. Pyrrha waved to the two other girls and smiled brightly.

Once the introductions were made, Jaune stepped forward to see the various relics. Chess pieces, of both colours stood on the monoliths, the gaps present showed that many of the other initiates had already been and gone. His blue eyes scanned over the pieces just as his partner's did. In perfect sync with one another they stepped forward and both placed their hands on the white rook piece. Her hand on top of his.

The redhead darted backwards pulling her hand away from his and blushing bright enough to stop rush-hour traffic. Jaune's own cheeks flushed as well though he kept his hand on the piece. He picked it up off of its stand and placed it in his hoodie pocket

"All right, that's that one done. Now we just have to return to the top of Beacon cliffs right?" He smiled, completely oblivious to his partner's deep embarrassment.

"Awesome! We can all head back together!" Yang cheered.

"I don't see why not, safety in numbers is a good idea." Pyrrha chirped, having finally brought her blush under control and fervently thanking the gods for Jaune not having seen it.

The four of them were just about to set off on their way back, but before they could take another step a shrill and panicked voice called out from above them.

"Look out!"

Four faces snapped up, their eyes on the sky. Jaune couldn't believe it, Ruby was hurtling towards the ground at a breakneck pace. Judging by the speed she was travelling, it was unlikely that her aura would save her. The blonde watched her descent, frantically trying to work out where he would need to be. In a rash move he sprinted forward to just where he believed the Rose might land and held his arms out.

His tongue poked out of the corner of his mouth as he watched her approach. She collided with the blonde with a hefty force, buckling his knees and sending them both to the ground, yet he managed to mitigate most of the impact. He ended up flat on his back with Ruby in a rather 'compromising' position on top of him earning both of them a set of rosy cheeks.

Thankfully Yang stepped forward and plucked her sister off of him by the back of her hood and setting her back down on her feet. There was a pause before the brawler drew her sister into a bone crushing hug. In the background Pyrrha helped her partner up and onto his own feet.

"Y-Yang! I'm fine, let me go!" Ruby cried as she flailed in the Blonde's arms. At last she broke free and looked up to the sky as if expecting something.

"What are you looking for?" Jaune asked curiously.

"Weiss... We kinda rode in on a giant Nevermore... And I told her to jump but she wouldn't so I kinda let go and well... Here we are!"

Jaune winced at the idea. He had heard the shouting match the previous evening and if that was any indication, Weiss was not the kinda girl you wanted to get on the wrong side of.

"You did what? Well, where is it?" Yang asked frantically searching the sky for any sign of the avian Grimm. The others soon joined her, scouring the clear blue for any sign of the evil beast or the heiress. Though which was more fearsome Jaune couldn't decide.

"There!" Ruby shouted pointing a finger up. Jaune followed her indication and found what they were looking for, at first it appeared to be little more than a speck but it soon grew, a little faster than Jaune would've liked.

"It's coming right for us!" They all cried in unison. Up above them the Nevermore shrieked out its hunting cry. A harsh and piercing cry that drove a spear of dread straight through their hearts. The bird drew back its wings pausing its forward momentum almost instantly, before once again bringing them forward unleashing a tirade of feathers in their direction.

"Scatter!" Ruby yelled and bolted behind a nearby tree. The others shot out in every which way they could to escape the barrage yet Jaune remained rooted to the spot unable to run. His legs simply wouldn't respond, fear had a solid grip on his heart.

"Jaune! Move!" He heard Pyrrha call out to him.

His partner's voice jolted him from his stupor but it was simply too late to run, there wasn't the time, the feathers were almost on him. He reached to his sword and drew it the steel shining brightly in the early afternoon sunlight. He expanded his shield and dropped into a crouch bringing it up and ducking behind it even as the feathers plowed into the ground in front of him.

Fortunately for him most of the feathers landed around him, missing by mere feet. One however didn't and collided with the face of his shield full force shattering into tiny pieces. He hissed in pain and the impact jarred his arm sending lances of pain rocketing through his body. His whole shield arm was completely numb.

Snapping his head round he watched his foe fly off, a brief flash of movement caught his eye as a figure, dressed all in white flew away from the bird hopping through the air on what seemed to be giant floating glyphs. Weiss.

The heiress touched down daintily onto the ground, a tiny puff of dust flying from underneath her. With a single-minded determination and anger seething in her icy blue eyes she stomped over to the tiny reaper.

"Ruby! What were you thinking leaving me up there alone!"

"Sorry! I-I told you to jump..." The little Rose hung her head in shame drawing circles in the dirt with the tip of her boot. She looked reminiscent of a toddler being chastised by her parent. The heiress opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted before she could get her words out by a low and rumbling roar. Out of the treeline burst an Ursa Major, huge white spines of bone protruding from its back. The beast was huge!

Before it had even gone two steps it collapsed down dead. Off of its back hopped a tiny girl dressed predominantly in pink with bright orange hair and a gigantic war hammer in her hands. It was a fearsome sight to behold. She nudged the dead Ursa with her foot, not even so much as a twitch from it.

"Awh... It's broken..." She whined, a frown growing on her face.

From behind the beast staggered what looked to be a male, dressed all in green and panting as though he'd just run the grand national. His hair was long and black as night save for a single lock of magenta just above his left eye.

"Nora... Please don't ever do that again..." He managed to gasp out between breaths. His words fell on deaf ears however, the girl had already skipped over and past the others until she stood in the ruins. Nora was leant forward scrutinising the remaining white knight piece, her nose only centimetres away.

She picked it from its perch and held it aloft triumphantly.  
>"Renny! Look how cute the pony is!" She shouted with childlike glee and a twinkle in her eyes. She skipped over to him and presented the piece to him.<p>

"Well, I've always been more of a rook man myself but I like it." He nodded with a smile.

"Uh... Guys? It's coming back..." Jaune said pointing to the Grimm banking round above them, making ready for another strafing run. His words fell on deaf ears however as Weiss stomped off, finally finished chastising Ruby and seized one of the pieces. It was a the matching rook piece to the one in Jaune's pocket.

"Guys! It's coming in again! Scatter!" Jaune bellowed cutting off the others even as he dived behind one of the pillars for cover. The other initiates soon cottoned on to what he meant and found cover of their own even as the feathers struck, burying themselves into the earth and stonework alike.

"You seem to have upset that Nevermore." Ren said, his voice sounding remarkably calm despite everything that was happening.

"Blame _her_!" Weiss said with a scowl pointing at her partner. This was too much for Jaune, and by the looks of it Yang wasn't too far off herself. This had to stop, they couldn't bicker among themselves now.

"Just stop!" He snapped. "What is your problem? We can't bicker among ourselves, there will be plenty of time for that once we've dealt with our big bird flappy-"

"Nevermore?" Pyrrha offered.

"-Nevermore problem. For goodness sake you're behaving like a child. Now we can only do this if we work _together._" He finished, blushing slightly. It wasn't like him to step up and calm down a situation.

"He's right..." Blake said surprising them all. "We have bigger problems right now."

"Alright... Fine." The heiress sighed. "How do you propose we deal with that thing?" They all looked to Jaune expectantly, why? Why did things always backfire on him so badly, he had no idea what do do. He looked up and watched the bird as it swooped around for another pass. If only they could reach it to get a hit in on it.

"That's it!" he cried quite suddenly, startling the others.

"Well? Spit it out already." The impatient Schnee insisted.

"It's main advantage is its ability to fly right?"

They nodded. But said nothing so he continued.

"So all we have to do is bring it to the ground and finish it off down here. As long as it can fly we will be at a sever disadvantage."

Ruby saw the triumph in his eyes and stepped forward drawing Crescent Rose, the mechanical scythe unfolding with a series of clicks and whirs.

"You have a plan?" She asked, her eyes wide. He nodded in response.

"I have a plan."

* * *

><p><strong>There it is, the revamped and much better version I believe. I plan to split initiation down into a couple of chapters rather than just the one. There will be canon elements, however I will seek to apply my own take on things as it progresses. For those of you who were wondering the Kraiken was based off of the watcher from LOTR. <strong>**As always please do follow, favourite and most importantly review. Please do let me know what you thought of this version.**

**Next time we shall have the Nevermore fight. As some of you may have noticed, I will be switching the teams around somewhat to both make things more interesting and allow for easier RoseArc and Arkos development.**

**Many thanks for reading and I'll see you all in the next chapter.**


	3. No More Nevermore

**Hello once again, coming at you now with the latest chapter. I present to you all the second and concluding part to the Initiation arc. Without any further ado, here it is. I hope you all enjoy it.**

* * *

><p>Jaune watched the skies with great anticipation, a huge black bird wheeled around coming to bear down directly on him. A Nevermore, the raven-like species of Grimm and currently angry as all hell at the blonde knight. He gulped as it loosed a shriek, a war cry, and began its dive towards him. This was exactly what he had wanted, or thought he had wanted. His plan was a solid one, it was his job to lure it down low enough for them to strike at it.<p>

Allowing himself a quick glance around he saw his fellow initiates all crouched out of sight behind the ruins and various trees, all awaiting his signal to make their move. Seven pairs of eyes all watching him with single-minded intensity and determination the likes of which he had never seen before.

He shifter his deep blue eyes off of them and back skyward to find their foe a lot closer than he had expected and closing fast. Jaune raised his shield and hoped by all the gods that it wouldn't choose to feather-shot him. To his slight relief it raised up its feet and opened its talons as though to grab him and carry him off to gods only knew where.

Cerulean blue eyes locked with hate-filled red as the ungodly avian flew ever closer to him. Steeling his nerves Jaune frantically began to try and gauge the distance, his mind crying out in blind terror for him to turn and flee but he couldn't his whole plan was currently hinging on him for it to work, besides, it was too late for him to run now.

He narrowed his eyes and watched the Grimm dive ever further and faster over the lip of his shield, only mere moments from it taking him off into the sky as its prize and killing him.

_'Steady now Jaune, not yet... Just a little further...Just a little bit... Now!'_

"Now!" He shouted.

Out from behind the ruins darted the ever energetic and slightly mad Nora Valkyrie, her gargantuan hammer Magnhild drawn and ready. Behind her and with more than the one grunt of exertion Yang hefted one of the ruins' ancient stone blocks, aided by one of Weiss' glyphs. The brawler hoisted the rock over her head, her eyes burning red as those of the Grimm.

With one final hoarse cry she hurled the rock skyward, not at the Nevermore but rather in front of it. Weiss using one of her glyphs to aid in both accuracy and propulsion, angling it in between both Nora and the soulless raven.

"Nora, nail it!" Jaune gave the order the Valkyrie had been waiting for. With a giggle she jumped onto the head of her hammer and with a pink explosion launched herself up and shooting towards the aged boulder mid-flight. She cocked back her hammer and with and almighty swing slammed it into the rock.

Another explosive report sounded out as she augmented her swing with one of her grenades. In a mere instant the once solid reminder of man's architectural past was converted to powder. The huge cloud of dust was sent flying forwards and into the eyes of the approaching Grimm. Nora landed and both she and Jaune threw themselves out of the path of the now temporarily blinded Nevermore.

Looking up from the ground Jaune just caught the bird flying straight into the fringe of the forest, ripping trees right out of the ground in a cloud of dust and earth with a cry of anguished pain. The initiates set off at a run towards the spot of the monsters impromptu landing. The dust settled as they approached.

The Nevermore had gouged a huge strip of the ground out, churning up the soil beneath. Trees once strong, deep-rooted and immovable against the ages now lay strewn about the beast's crash site. At the end of this trail of destruction lay the monster in question. It seemed dazed and confused. Both wings jutted out at awkward angles, the bones within having shattered after colliding with so many of the trees.

Jaune looked on in disbelief, astonished that the first part of his plan had paid of quite as well as that. Whether it was due to his plan being a solid one or sheer dumb luck he didn't know or care. He looked to the initiates running alongside him and barked his orders.

"Yang, Ruby Weiss and Blake. You guys go take out its right wing... Completely. Pyrrha, Nora and Ren you're with me!" The initiates listened intently as he spoke and called out the affirmative, their wave splitting effectively in two with each half swerving off and towards their respective sides of the Grimm.

The Nevermore itself seemed to have recovered from its confusion and was flailing its maimed wings around in what appeared to be an effort to take to the air again. Pained screeches were the only result of its efforts. It was clear that with wings that badly broken it wouldn't be flying anywhere anytime soon.

It gave up trying once it caught sight of the eight teenagers running full pelt towards it. It folded its wings awkwardly and ruffled its feathers in a warning. The eight ignored it and bore down on the beast spreading out and approaching from as many different directions as possible. For the oversized bird manoeuvres in between the trees were greatly restricted. Every move it made stripped several of the surrounding trees of their bark and brought a fresh wail of pain as its severely crippled wings were pressed against the trees.

Jaune ran up until the Nevermore cast him in shadow, sword drawn and poised to do his part. He leapt out of the way as a beak crashed into the ground where he had just been. It seemed the Nevermore had given up on its ruined wings and sought to peck them into oblivion. A wise move for the bird indeed. The Grimm backed up further until its tail feathers scrapes against the forest behind.

Jaune watched in horror as the Nevermore landed a direct hit on Ruby, the tip of its beak plowing directly into her chest and sending her flying. There was a cloud of rose petals as Ruby was thrown back. She hit the dirt with a dull thud, for a moment it seemed like she might not be getting up but slowly, she staggered back upright. Yang gave out and anguished cry as the Rose was hit, the relief on her face was palpable at seeing her sister recover. The Nevermore was in for a world of pain.

Yang stomped her way towards the beast at a slow and terrifying pace. Her eyes burned crimson signifying her semblance had kicked in. Her gauntlets were deployed and her fists formed into tight balls trembling with suppressed rage. Her long blonde hair seemed to be aflame, a more intimidating visage Jaune couldn't have imagined.

The Nevermore paused with what seemed to be a brief flash of fear in its beady eyes. It shook its head as though to clear it and dove forward to peck her again, she was moving slowly in a straight line after all. The other initiates had stopped dead, all seven pairs of eyes fixed on the blonde in a mixture of concern and intrigue, curious to see these two immovable titans clash head-to-head.

The beak shot forth straight at the blonde's chest and for a moment it seemed a dead cert that it would strike her again. Time seemed to slow to a snails pace as the tip of the beak drew closer and closer to her. Quicker than the eye could follow she brought her wrist up and knocked the attack aside in a shower of sparks. The other fist she brought up into the underside of its beak. One of her dust shells discharged on contact causing an explosion of bright red fire.

The Nevermore's head snapped back with a series of sickening crunches as its spine compressed sharply effectively converting its vertebrae into powder from the sheer force alone. The Nevermore collapsed forward, seemingly paralysed, the brawler stepped out of the way calmly, the fight appearing to be over. Jaune relaxed a little.

Yang wasn't done there though, oh no. She took a step or two towards the raven-like Grimm and smiled innocently. The nevermore looked into her eyes in terror, all anger long since having disappeared from its eyes. With a roar she proceeded to launch a furious assault on the creature sending a flurry of heavy punches directly into the avian Grimm's face, each one irking a new pained cry from the monster. Deep cracks appeared in the thick bone plates on its face until one heavy, dust augmented punch shattered them and sent fragments flying in all directions and burying them in the surrounding foliage.

The enraged fist-fighter continued to pummel the Nevermore's head even after its skull had collapsed and the burning red eyes had been extinguished. At last she stopped, black blood spattered all over her outfit. The blonde beauty took a calming breath extinguishing the flames in her hair and returning her eyes to lilac. In defiance, she spat on the corpse of her foe and dropped to one knee as fatigue washed over her. The seven initiates shot over to her side.

"That was incredible! I've never even heard of someone fist-fighting a giant Nevermore before! It was the most scary thing I've ever seen but it was just so cool!" Ruby squealed running over, wincing in pain with each step. She launched herself at her sister, arms like bands of steel around the blonde's waist.

"Relax little sister, I'm fine..." She said standing up again, she looked over to Jaune. "Sorry I messed up the plan."

"It's alright." He laughed "I'm just glad you're still in one piece. Just remind me never to upset you... like ever, even slightly."

"Damn straight." She chuckled "So what do we do now?"

Jaune thought for a moment, the cogs in his mind whirring as he fought to concoct a plan. Before he got the chance to voice his ideas however, Weiss stepped forward with a stern look on her face. If looks could kill, the forest would have wilted then and there.

"Just what did you think you were doing you brute?!" She demanded. Yang just gave her a questioning look, it lacked any real interest. If anything it seemed as though she found the heiress boring.

"We had a plan! By trying to play the hero you broke the plan and put us all in jeopardy! What would have happened if you had been hurt or even killed?"

"Relax Ice Queen... I killed it didn't I? That's all that matters." Yang waved the Heiress off.

Jaune took a small step back away from the squabbling two. He could see Weiss' temper rising by the moment, a single vein bulging in her forehead. The struggle to maintain her cool was showing clearly on her face. Fire and Ice, the two couldn't be any more different if they tried.

"Please stop. If we continue to bicker and squabble among ourselves then not only will it bring down morale, it will also attract Grimm to the area. We mustn't forget that they are attracted to negativity." The two girls clamped their mouths shut as new voice joined the fray, louder than the others and yet possessing an air about it that served to calm the warring huntresses. The party looked around in shock to find that it was in fact Ren whom had spoken, it was the first time he had uttered a word since they had all met back at the ruins.

"He speaks!" Yang teased with a wide smile.

"Yes and so do you, a little loud for my liking..." Weiss scowled.

Jaune could sense the two getting ready to commence their verbal onslaught anew. Before they could, he stepped in between them pushing them apart. It couldn't go on, _especially_ if their bickering would bring fresh Grimm into the area. That was something he wasn't willing to risk.

"We should begin making our way back to the cliffs, we have completed our primary goal after all." Ren stated and turned to walk off with Nora skipping alongside him. His voice had sounded monotonous, almost as though he were fed up or bored of the brawler and the heiress. His idea was accepted by them all, as one by one they followed on after him. Ruby tugged lightly on her sister's elbow, Yang shot the ice queen one last glare before following her sister off to the South and in the direction of Beacon cliffs.

* * *

><p>Glynda stared incredulously at her scroll, unable to believe what she had just witnessed. It sent shivers down her spine to see the pulped remains of the giant Nevermore. Never before in over a decade of watching initiations had she ever seen a student punch one of the gigantic avian Grimm to death, to do so would require extraordinary strength.<p>

"Ozpin, did you..?" She asked, her voice a little shaky. He smirked slightly, it was a rare occasion that Goodwitch was this perturbed by anything.

"I did, it seems we have quite the impressive group of students..."

"It seems we may have underestimated them."

"And what of Mr. Arc, what do you think of his performance thus far?"

"I...I may have been a little hasty..." She admitted, her cheeks colouring pink. "It seems that while his combat skill may be lacking, by a considerable margin might I add, that he does possess an impressively tactical mind. It took him little time at all to plot the downfall of the Nevermore, although it was incredibly reckless."

"Sometimes, reckless plans are the best for a situation. It makes you spontaneous and helps to keep our foes guessing. It may have worked had it not been for Miss Xiao-Long's outburst."

Glynda frowned once again and sighed. Though it pained her to admit it, the wizened old headmaster did have a point. Up until the young brawler had gone on the offensive, the knight's plan had been going well. They were mere moments from swarming the monstrous raven and bringing an end to it. Indeed, she would have to keep an eye on the young Arc boy it seemed.

"They are on the approach to Beacon cliffs, they should be with us again in a matter of minutes." She informed him.

Ozpin didn't say a word in response, he was deep within his own thoughts. The headmaster watched the holographic screen of his scroll with great interest, his critical eyes analysing the eight teenagers as they made their way back towards him. He idly sipped his coffee with a smile, it seemed to him that these eight teenagers would play a part in shaping the future of both Vale and the entirety of Remnant. It was only a matter of time.

* * *

><p>The return journey towards the cliffs had been hard going to say the least. It had long since passed midday, the sun on the final stretch of its journey across the sky. Already the once blue sky had begun to shift to orange in the face of the approaching dusk.<p>

Jaune and his friends were still walking back through the forest towards their cliffs and the end of their trials. Progress had been slow as they weaved in between the thick trunks of the trees. Roots and thorn bushes had tripped them and grasped at their clothes with unrelenting persistence leaving them hot, bothered and fraying at their patience.

At first, conversation had flowed between them as easily as water from one side of a lake to the other. They had discussed many things from their upbringing and family (Weiss and Blake remained silent throughout and listened despite urging from the others), their hopes, dreams and other things down to the tiniest details such as favourite foods.

The story exchanges were good for morale, none of them so much as Jaune. His stories of his life with seven sisters had them laughing on more than one occasion, often to the point of tears. In particular they seemed to enjoy hearing about the times his sister forced him into wearing girl's clothes including one particularly uncomfortable incident involving a maid's outfit. The struggle between his sisters and he had been legendary and woken up half of the street before they had managed to subdue him

Ren and Nora had brought in the stories of their time growing up together, tales of their youth living next door to one another and how they had found true companionship in the form of each other. Hearing their words formed a pit in Jaune's heart, he desired the self-same companionship they had described. As a child things had been lonely, the human children had exiled him because he was seen as a faunus sympathiser and the faunus children didn't trust him because he was human. It was a vicious circle of rejection.

Yet as time wore on and their energies began to wane, the sounds of laughter became softer and more lacklustre, the smiles had become more half-hearted and their eyes had dimmed until they eventually gave up telling stories all together and focussed solely on putting one foot infront of the other.

The trees before them began to thin out until they emerged into the dying sunlight at the foot of the cliffs. They stood as the final thousand foot barrier between them and rest. Jaune's heart sank as he looked up at the rock face, he wasn't afraid of the climb. Given time he was sure that he could do it, it was the thousand foot fall to his inevitable death that terrified him.

"We can't climb that..." Weiss frowned looking up at the sheer rock wall. "We'll have to find another way up there..."

Jaune thought for a moment, he looked up and down the base of the cliffs for any way that might have been left for them to return to the top. To his dismay none presented themselves. His eyes trailed down the cold stone to the base of the cliff where they settled on the heiress...

"Weiss, what is the range on your glyphs." He asked slowly, thinking about the likelihood of his half-formed plan actually working.

"I can summon them anywhere within sight, provided that I have the time to concentrate." She answered in a very proud manner.

"Then do you think you can set us up with steps to the very top of the cliffs?"

"Can I?" She repeated confidently.

"...can you?" Ruby asked a little confused.

"Of course I can!" The heiress snapped.

Weiss gave a hefty sigh and closed her eyes. After taking a few moments to calm her breathing she flicked her wrist and pointed to the cliffs. Almost instantaneously a series of white glyphs appeared in running up the rock-face, they hummed slightly and resonated with energy.

"Well? I can't hold them forever, get a move on!" She huffed.

Jaune nodded and gestured to the glyphs, they were pulsing slightly. The seven teenagers made their way over to them. The knight gulped and stepped onto the first glyph. There was a mad rushing sensation and the sound of gale force wind in his ears as he was propelled upwards faster than he dared think.

He soared up and high above the cliff top, he hung there for a brief moment before dropping down fifty feet and onto the plates from which they had all been launched from that morning. He rolled to dissipate the impact of his rather abrupt landing. He was followed in short order by; Pyrrha, Nora, Ren, Yang, Blake, Ruby and finally Weiss. The heiress landed with a soft 'hmph' and stepped over to the knight.

"Told you I could do it." she stated proudly, Jaune stepped over and place a hand on her shoulder with a smile.

"Thank-you Weiss, you saved us all a dangerous climb and an awful lot of effort." She smiled at that, a slight one, barely noticeable but it was there. Before they had the chance to discuss anything further they were met by the familiar visage of Ozpin and Goodwitch, both had warm smiles on their faces and what seemed to be pride.

"Congratulations to you all on your successful completion of the initiation task. We have monitored your progress and are satisfied that you are all ready to continue your training to become huntsmen and huntresses here at Beacon combat academy. As the school's Headmaster it is my pleasure to offer you all places as first year students. Do you accept?"

"Yes thank-you Sir!" Eight voices replied simultaneously with great enthusiasm.

"Then all that remains is for me to say 'Welcome to Beacon'. Now, if you would be so kind as to hand over the relics that you retrieved?"

The four pairs all searched briefly in their pockets before producing and handing over their oversized chess pieces. Two white knights and two white rooks. Ozpin raised an eyebrow as Goodwitch stepped forward to collect the 'relics'.

"Thank you. You will return to the ballroom for now where you may wash and change until all of the students have returned. Once everyone is assembled and prepared we will host the initiation ceremony and decide the final teams of four. You are dismissed."

* * *

><p>Jaune stumbled on tired feet back towards his bedroll from the previous night. It may not have been luxury but after the day he had had, it was more inviting that the finest hotels in all of Remnant and the way he saw it, he had earned it.<p>

Pyrrha was sat on her own bedding next to his with a smile on her face, having relocated it the moment they had returned arguing that they were partners and that it meant they simply had to stick together. Not that he minded of course, he was still thanking each and every one of his lucky stars for being paired up with her.

"So Jaune, you must be happy to have been paired with _the_ Pyrrha Nikos." Weiss said with a smile as she came over to sit with them, Ruby in tow behind her, a plate of cookies in hand.

"What do you mean?" He asked confused.

"You're partnered with Pyrrha Nikos, four time Mistral regional tournament champion?" She answered, her tone showing how thin her patience were staring to wear.

"The what?"

"She's on the front of _every _'Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes' box!" She cried out flapping her arms. Jaune looked at her in disbelief before turning to look at his partner, she had a fed up expression on her face and was shooting a less than friendly glare at the heiress. He thought back to the cereal box and just like a flash of lightning, it clicked. His eyes grew wide in shock, how could he not have seen it sooner?

"That was _you?!_" He gasped, looking at her with reverent awe.

"Yeah, it was pretty cool... Shame the cereal isn't very good for you..." She sighed.

"That's so cool!" He cried out.

"So you're glad then?" Weiss interjected. Returning to her original question.

"Y-yeah! Not just because she's famous though, I mean that is cool and all but the Grimm don't care if you're famous or a commoner, there is no distinction for them between the two. All I know is that Pyrrha saved my life out there. To me that matters most." He smiled. Besides him Pyrrha seemed to release a poorly concealed sigh of relief, why that was Jaune had no idea but deep down he had the feeling he'd done the right thing.

Ruby grinned and offered her plate of cookies to them, she waited for them all to take one each before she demolished the rest of them with a speed and ferocity seldom seen. Weiss looked as though she wanted to scold the younger girl but bit her tongue smiling apologetically to their company.

"These are good cookies Ruby!" Jaune smiled taking another bite of his. "Where did you get them?"

She shrugged. "I bumped into Professor Ozpin coming back from the shower and he gave me them." The young rose grinned. Jaune couldn't help but notice just how pleasant her smile was, it was so innocent and full of joy that he put him at ease. Why it was that she had such an effect on him he didn't know, but it sent him reeling.

* * *

><p>The overhead lights shone brightly down onto the amphitheatre's stage. On stage left waiting to go on were Jaune and the rest of the initiates. The blonde's hands trembles as his nerves once again took over. He prayed fervently that everything would go well and that he wouldn't mess up by tripping on the way onto the stage, or that he was pass out from embarrassment alone.<p>

Ozpin and Goodwitch were stood by the microphone, she had her large scroll out in front of her and was tapping away furiously in the few remaining moments whilst the audience settled in. The audience itself seemed to be several hundred strong, the whole student population of Beacon itself. The initiates were led out onto the stage together and lined up at the back. They had only been told to step forward when their names were called.

The speakers boomed a little as Ozpin cleared his throat and began to speak.

"Thank you all or gathering here on such short notice to witness the start of our initiates journey here at Beacon, along the way, they will face countless dangers. It is only by the mutual support of our peers that we can fight through these dangers and emerge stronger for it. Blake Belladonna, Lie Ren, Nora Valkyrie and Yang Xiao-Long. The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day forth you shall be known as Team Burgundy(BRNY) led by; Blake Belladonna."

Polite applause from the audience masked Blake's surprised gasp but did little to disguise the expression of shock on her face. Ozpin stepped forward and congratulated each member of the newly formed team personally, lingering a little longer to seemingly offer some words of wisdom to Blake before her team exited stage right to collect their dorm keys and watch the rest of the ceremony.

"Jaune Arc, Weiss Schnee, Pyrrha Nikos and Ruby Rose." Ozpin continued.

At the very mention of his name, Jaune's hands trembled ever more, he balled his hands into tight fists to stop them shaking but was only partly successful. His heart pounded faster and faster as he stepped forward to where BRNY had stood mere moments before.

"You shall form team Jasper (JSPR) and will be led by... Jaune Arc."

"What?!" Jaune cried out in sheer surprise as his heart skipped a beat, this couldn't be right. At his side Pyrrha gave him a playful punch, beaming at him, and sent his arm numb. He didn't even react. He simply watched dumb founded as Ozpin made the rounds of _his _team, congratulating them all personally. As he had with Blake, Ozpin paused in front of Jaune, and, with a smile shook his hand.

"We're expecting great things from you Mr. Arc, keep up the good work. Don't be afraid of your new responsibilities, I can tell you're a little daunted but you will do just fine. Stand by your team no matter what and they shall do the same for you. Congratulations."

Jaune stumbled off of the stage in a daze, the whole world seemed to spin before him. It was all so very much to take in. Ozpin was certainly right, he felt daunted and lost, unsure of what to do next or what his newest responsibilities were. The blonde was about to embark on a journey of discovery and undoubted adventure. He was sure he would work it out, one step at a time. He had a team now, and he was their leader.

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for reading! Yang is one scary individual, especially where Ruby is concerned. So now we have it, our two teams; JSPR and BRNY (bit of a play on Yang's semblance there too.) Hope you enjoyed this chapter, Next time we'll see how the teams adapt to classes and their positions within their respective teams (Weiss, I'm looking at you.) I'm hoping you are all enjoying these re-written chapters better than the old ones. I'm trying to separate them from the set canon for the show and make them a little more interesting to read. Please let me know what you think and how I might improve on them.<strong>

**As always, please do Favourite, follow and especially review. All your reviews help me improve my writing and the story as a whole. **

**Many thanks once again and I'll see you all in the next chapter.**


	4. What Makes a Team?

**Hello everyone, hope you're all keeping well. Here is the latest chapter, might not quite be up to the same standards as the others but I hope you like it all the same. It was a bit of a ball-ache to write if I'm honest. I had the ideas just couldn't put it into words, but with a fair bit of swearing and several long breaks it is finally done. Dig in, its going to be a bumpy ride.**

* * *

><p>Jaune sighed as both his team and BRNY left Port's class. In truth, when he had heard that he would be studying under the illustrious Professor Peter Port, he had naturally been excited. The legendary huntsman famed for killing over three hundred Beowolves in a single encounter to save an entire town, single handedly, was going to be teaching them!<p>

The professor was not, however, what he had expected. In fact the reality was about as far from the tall, dark and mysterious figure that the blonde leader had been expecting as was physically possible.

This legendary hero had turned out to be an ironically portly man in what Jaune guessed to be his mid fifties with greying hair and little left but his stellar moustache and tails of grandeur. Not the best start to the year to be certain. Even the fire in Ruby's eyes had seemingly dimmed at the mere sight of him. It would seem that even the little rose had been expecting something a little more.

Throughout his first lecture with the Professor, all Jaune could think about was when the bell would ring. At one point he managed to calculate, down to the second, exactly how long he had left. A part of him felt guilty for not giving Port a fair chance, but it was hard to given just how boring his lecture was. It had started out well with the senior huntsman giving a brief summary of what Grimm were, their origins and the various different classifications therein but had quickly devolved into a self promotional story of near ridiculous length.

There had been an audible sigh of relief when the bell had finally rung, after what seemed like an eternity, to signal the end of class. The rush for the door wasn't quite the mad dash he had expected, but rather a singular movement with an insistent sense of urgency.

Jaune checked his scroll for his timetable to see that their next lesson was combat studies with Professor Goodwitch in the training centre. In truth this was the one that Jaune had perhaps been looking forward to the most. Events in initiation had instilled a sense of self confidence the likes of which he hadn't felt in a long while. The prospect of being able to test his combat abilities in a sparring match against the other students excited him to say the least.

Teams JSPR and BRNY made their way out into the campus, bright sunlight warming them as the walked along. Jaune felt his neck begin to sweat under his shirt and tie. It didn't really make sense to him that even in the height of summer, all Beacon students had to wear the official uniform no matter how hot. Already there had been three cases of students being carried off to the infirmary with sunstroke.

After a short walk, Beacon's multi-million Lien training compound rose up before them. It was a gigantic building and a masterpiece of modern architecture. The complex had a futuristic look about it. It's walls were composed entirely of smart glass panes, gleaming brightly in the sun despite being tinted in reaction to the brilliant sunshine. Sweeping steel arches wrapped themselves around the structure providing both an unusual aesthetic appeal as well as additional structural integrity.

Jaune and his friends continued on and through the gigantic sliding doors and towards the sparring room. It was huge, easily big enough to comfortably accommodate for twenty five sparring partnerships, with plenty of room to spare. The eight first years made their way up into the stands to take their places with the other first years.

Goodwitch arrived not long afterwards, her heels click-clacking against the hard stone floor of the facility. She marched more than walked, her usual stern expression fixed in place. Jaune wondered why it was that she always seemed so impatient or angry.

"Good morning students, I am to be your combat studies Professor this year. In my class you shall further improve your skills through sparring with one another in order to better prepare you all for your future lives as huntsmen and huntresses. You have all been categorized and partnered off based on the skills you demonstrated during initiation. Please listen closely whilst I read out the pairings."

Jaune leant forward listening intently as Goodwitch read out a long list of names from her scroll. Excitement bubbled up within his gut. He looked to his team to see similar expressions on their faces. Even Weiss had a confident smirk playing about her lips, it seemed that even the 'Ice Queen' herself wasn't immune to excitement.

"Ruby Rose and Sky Lark, Cardin Winchester and Jaune Arc..."

Upon hearing his name Jaune's eyes darted from first year to first year seeking to identify his new sparring partner. It wasn't long before he found him and the smile faded from his face. Cardin was a much larger boy, easily a good two to three inches taller if not more and much broader in the shoulders. Two angry looking indigo eyes glared back at him with what looked to be disgust. The blonde's confidence took a nose dive and at that moment a whole horde of Beowolves might have actually been preferable to fighting Cardin.

"Very well, please change into your combat equipment and ready yourselves for your fist sparring matches." Goodwitch's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. The first years made their way through into the locker rooms and changed, returning moments later. Jaune fiddled nervously with a knot in the leather strap connected to his right pauldron.

He felt a hand gently clasp his shoulder and wheeled round in surprise to see Ruby smiling brightly at him. He gave his best smile in return but it must have shown his nerves because she frowned a little.

"Don't worry about it Jaune, you fought really well in the forest. You'll be OK now." She said softly. Reaching up on her tiptoes she moved his hands away from the armour and undid the fastenings. Straightening out the knot with quick and deft fingers she re tightened the strap again.

"I'll be rooting for my leader out there!" She giggled. The little rose gave him a quick yet firm hug before darting away to one of the sparring enclosures wherein her partner was waiting for her, halberd in hand.

JSPR's leader shook off his doubts and slowly walked towards his own assigned enclosure, the familiar weight of Crocea Mors swinging into his leg as he walked. He stood over to once side of the ring and drew his weapons giving his sword a few practice swings and adjusting his grip. His fingers fell into well-worn grooves in the weapon's hilt. Formed through generations of use.

Cardin arrived not long after, a cocky smirk on his face. Jaune gulped at the sight of the hulking first year. Winchester was adorned all in thick plate armour with a golden eagle emblazoned proudly across the front of his breastplate. Slung across his shoulder was a gigantic mace, forged of blackened steel and cruel in design. Twelve bladed flanges splayed out from the haft and curled up and round to form a caged head with a large red gem set within. If there was one thing Jaune knew, it was that he couldn't afford to take any direct hits from that weapon. Aura or no, that would do some serious damage if he wasn't careful.

Goodwitch stepped over to them before long, she synced up their scrolls to their respective aura levels and called them both to the centre of the ring so that the two combatants stood on either side of her.

"Gentlemen, this will be a standard match. You will fight until one of your auras falls into the red, at which time the klaxon will sound and the match will be over. If either of you should continue the fight once one of you has lost then there shall be serious repercussions. Is this understood?" Both of them nodded and retreated to their own sides. The professor left their arena and headed off to set another pair off.

Jaune raised his shield so that he was just peering over the top lip, his blue eyes locked onto his opponent, occasionally flicking to the three lights at the side of the arena. The first light came on, a bright amber. The blonde fought to slow his breathing and calm his nerves. The second light came on. He adjusted his grip on his sword, feeling the circulation to his fingers cut out. The third light came on, green.

The knight sprinted forwards, his sword raised and poised to strike. Cardin's eyes widened in shock at the sheer audacity that the smaller leader was exhibiting. This surprise soon passed however, aggressively shrugging, he brought his mace up and off of his shoulder and into a wide arcing swing. The sheer weight of the weapon giving it momentum.

Jaune saw the strike coming and barely managed to raise his shield in time, The mace collided with the face of his shield with a loud metallic clang and a shower of sparks. The force of the strike alone launched the blonde backwards and to the other side of the arena onto his back. The air was forced out of his lungs and left him sprawling, gasping for air.

The sparring room around them had fallen silent, every one of the fighters turned to look at the two leaders battling it out. Jaune struggled to his feet once more, his lungs burning for air and his vision flickering. With a grunt of effort he raised his shield once more. Looking around to find over thirty pairs of eyes all watching him, his already red cheeks deepened in colour. One set in particular caught his attention, deep viridian in colour and filled with concern. Pyrrha's eyes bored into him and gave him renewed determination.

He re adopted his combat stance and glared at the mace-wielder once more, now a little more aware of his capabilities. He was relieved when the sounds of combat resumed around them, glad in the knowledge that attention had once again been diverted away from them.

Taking slow and cautious steps, Jaune circled around. Opposite him Cardin did the same, his fingers drumming against the haft of his mace. Looking for any weak points, any chinks in his armour that he might be able to take advantage of. The knight had previously been relying on the idea that the bigger leader's heavier armour and weapon would have slowed him right down. This was however not the case, rather it appeared that he had worn that plate armour for so long that it had become almost a second skin to him.

"How on earth did a pipsqueak like you end up the leader of a team? A team containing Pyrrha Nikos of all people." Cardin's voice was snide and thick with malice. Jaune bit back a retort as he realised that he did in fact have a point.

"Ozpin seemed to think it was a good idea, who am I to argue with the Headmaster?" Jaune replied through gritted teeth.

"It would seem like he made a mistake. leaders need to be strong and dependable, not weak like you." He continued the smirk never once leaving his face. Jaune's anger rose up within him, burning brightly behind his eyes.

Without pausing to consider the consequences, he charged once more. Crocea Mors singing as it flew through the air. Jaune turned his body mid-strike to avoid another swing from the bastard mace. It struck the floor to his right with a loud report splintering the stone beneath their feet an sending shock-waves out in all directions. It took everything that Jaune had to keep his balance and continue his attack.

There was a metallic clang and a screech of metal on metal that set the blonde's teeth on edge. Before Jaune could fully assess the damage that his strike did, a fist connected with his face sending him back to the ground once again, the splinters of stone digging into his relatively unprotected back shooting lances of pain throughout his body as a few of them punctured his skin even through his clothes. He yelped in pain even as his aura kicked in to heal these new injuries.

Looking up to his opponent, Jaune caught his first glance of the damage he had wrought. He had opened up a huge diagonal rend had been torn through Cardin's breastplate from his left shoulder to his right hip, straight through the once-proud golden eagle. Pride bloomed in his heart at knowing that he had been responsible for such devastation. Cardin however looked a little less pleased.

"You... Look what you've done!" He growled, a savage look in his eyes. "This was my father's armour! You're in for it now..." He bellowed in rage. The hulking boy's feet sounded like the dirge of doom as he strode over to Jaune's prone form. The blonde scrambled backwards, his proud smile fading and shifting into an expression of horror.

Grabbing him roughly by the leather straps of his chest plate, Cardin hauled him up and off of his feet. The blondes legs hanging uselessly nearly a foot off of the ground. Jaune winced as the jagged metal from Cardin's sliced straight through his hoodie and cut his skin.

Cocking back a fist, CRDL's leader slammed it straight into Jaune's gut. The blonde coughed as stars danced before his eyes. A second punch winded him and caused his vision to flicker, darkness beginning creeping over him as he moved towards losing consciousness. The knight flailed and kicked against his armour in the hoped of breaking free but there was no chance. Cardin had him locked in his clutches and wasn't about to let go until he had finished venting.

The knight barely held onto his sword amidst the vicious beating he was receiving. Every time Cardin's fist connected his whole body would scream out in protest before his aura would wash over him mitigating the damage, only for the whole process to start anew moments later. Jaune frantically tried to think of a way out, to escape his opponent's relentless onslaught.

In a moment of desperation he switched his grip on Crocea Mors so that the blade hung parallel to the ground pointing behind him. Taking a moment to gather what strength he had left he swung his sword arm up and pommel struck his opposing leader in the side of the head.

Cardin cried out in pain and dropped the blonde to clamp both of his hands to his face. Jaune's legs crumpled under him as they struck the floor. With a series of pained grunts he staggered back to his feet, fighting to ignore the agony that his stomach cried out in.

Having retrieved his mace, the now thoroughly enraged Cardin once again swung at the knight, brining his gargantuan mace to bear on the wounded knight. Throwing his body into an agonising roll, he barely managed to dodge before the steel club smashed into the space he had only just occupied. Jaune back-pedalled feverishly, trying to put space between himself and the enraged mace user.

Casting a glance to his scroll he read his aura as being over half gone,and well into the amber whilst Cardin was still sitting comfortably in the green. With a growl of frustration he charged forward and launched a flurry of swings aiming to land at least one proper hit and take some of his opponent's aura down.

Cardin's face twitched angrily as he stepped out of the way of every slash Jaune tried. He gave ground steadily as the two crossed back over onto the ruined ground of their arena. The knight's arms grew numb, feeling heavier with each swing as he exhausted more and more energy with each passing moment.

By this time, the other matches around the arena had fizzled out save for a couple of die-hard fighters who still had the energy to go on. The free students gathered around to watch the two leaders have at one another.

The blonde's onslaught was stopped dead in its tracks as a knee connected with his stomach doubling him over driving the precious air from his lungs. He tried to climb back up when a fist connected with the side of his head sending him flying back to the ground unconscious just as the klaxon sounded signalling Cardin's victory.

* * *

><p>Jaune groggily awoke several hours later in the most intense pain he had felt in his life. With the adrenaline having worn off since the bout, he could feel every single bruise throbbing in unison like hundreds of angry reminders. They seemed to be concentrated mostly around his torso and face, although some had reached his legs.<p>

The first thing he noticed other than his own extensive injuries was the sound of voices and a gentle but firm pressure on each of his hands. He recognised the voices as those of the other three members of his team, and judging by the tone they were arguing about something.

"I don't see why that dolt didn't just yield!" that was Weiss, no doubt about it.

"Weiss, he couldn't yield! How would it look if he had yielded on the first day of school?" Countered a second voice, one which he recognised instantly as that of Ruby.

"Pyrrha, will you back me up here?!" Weiss cried out in demand. For a while afterwards the room was utterly silent. Jaune felt the pressure on his right hand increase ever so slightly for a fleeting moment before it relaxed once again.

"I don't see why it matters. What is done is done, all we can do now is wait for him to recover." Pyrrha said, her voice trembling a little with what sounded like concern.

"You won't be waiting long..." Jaune croaked, deciding to make his presence known. He tried opening his eyes but found the left one swollen beyond the point where he could. With his right eyes he briefly scanned around the room.

He was lying in a metal framed bed in a room painted a sterile white colour to match the sheets he lay under. Presumably this was the Beacon academy infirmary. Sat in chairs both on his left and right were Ruby and Pyrrha, each of them holding onto a hand tightly and to Jaune's surprise Ruby's eyes were red and puffy as though they had been crying. Across the room leant against the wall in the corner was Weiss, a scowl on her face although Jaune could have sworn their was a flicker of relief in her eyes at the sound of his voice.

"Jaune!" Ruby cried out in excitement, hugging him tightly. Jaune winced in pain at the contact and she soon shot back with a bright blush on her cheeks.

"Sorry... It's just we were worried about you."

"Thanks Ruby." He smiled weakly, reaching out with his now-free hand and ruffling her hair. The rose pouted adorably when he did and immediately set about trying to fix her locks back in their usual places when he finished.

Pyrrha responded in a much more subdued manner, smiling brightly at him with a film of tears in her eyes. Jaune blushed a little as his soft blue eyes met with her intense emerald ones.

"Hey partner." He grinned.

"Hey." She replied with a giggle. "How are you feeling?"

"Like a horde of Ursai decided to dance the fandango on my head." He winced. "What happened exactly, last thing I remember was combat studies and then... nothing."

"What happened? I'll tell you what happened! Cardin absolutely destroyed you!" Weiss snapped, stepping into the fray in her usual brusque manner. She seemed to exude pure rage and Jaune simply couldn't work out why.

"W-Weiss why are you mad at me? I did my bes-"

"Well your best wasn't good enough Jaune! How are you supposed to lead when you can hardly defend yourself? Well?"

"I-I don't know..."

"Neither do I... Ozpin made a mistake." She snarled and stormed out of the room leaving all three of her teammates in complete silence. Jaune's eyes welled up and tears began to roll steadily down his cheeks. Weiss had struck at his very core, targeting the part of him that was the most vulnerable.

"J-Jaune... are you alright?" Pyrrha asked, placing a hand reassuringly on his shoulder.

"She's right." He replied.

"What do you mean?" Ruby said, clasping his hand in between both of her own.

"She's right, I'm not right for leadership. Ozpin made a mistake." He sighed.

"Did I now? And what makes you say that Mr. Arc?" All three sets of eyes snapped onto the old headmaster as he stepped into the room, ever present coffee mug in hand.

"How am I meant to lead? It's like she said, I can barely protect myself let alone the others around me. Surely any of the other members of my team would be better suited for the role?"

"Girls, would you mind giving us a moment?" Ozpin asked after a moment, Ruby and Pyrrha nodded and stood to leave the room. Both girls shooting him one last concerned glance before stepping outside and closing the door behind them. Once they were gone Ozpin sighed and took a seat at Jaune's bedside, resting his cane against the arm of the chair.

"Jaune." He began, surprising the knight by addressing him by his first name. "Being a leader isn't just a title that you carry with you into battle but a badge you wear permanently. You are always bound by the rules and responsibilities accompanying that position. What would you say those responsibilities are?"

"I-I guess to protect your team, and lead them in battle in the best way to stop them getting hurt?"

"I agree, that is part of it. But don't forget that your team isn't just limited to when you're in battle. You are always a team, at least while here at Beacon, both on the field of battle and off of it. You as a leader will be the one that your team will look to for guidance and support."

"But what if I can't give them that support?"

"Jaune it has only been one day, you're still settling into your new role as a leader. Give it time, I'm sure you'll come to terms with it soon enough."

"S-so it wasn't a mistake?"

"I have more mistakes than any man, woman or child on this earth, but I don't think that electing you as leader of your team is one of them. Give it time, you'll see." The Professor smiled standing up once again and heading for the door. "Now, I have taken up far too much of your time, and your teammates seemed to be eager to stay. A swift recovery to you Mr. Arc." The professor nodded opening the door.

"Thank you Professor." Jaune croaked. Ozpin smiled and left just as Pyrrha and Ruby shot back in and returned to their seats in a flurry of movement and a cloud of rose petals.

"What was that about?" Ruby asked.

"He uh... He just wanted to make sure I was alright." Jaune answered, a slight smile on his face as he wiped away the tears from his eyes.

* * *

><p>Weiss' feet clacked against the worn stone floor, echoing down Beacon's long corridors. She was furious, both with Arc for appearing so weak and with herself for her own outburst. It all seemed so ridiculous that she, Weiss Schnee, had been cast aside for Jaune Arc to take the position of team leader. She had trained for a great many years in the best schools, under the best teachers and with the best equipment to be pipped to the post by that blonde buffoon.<p>

She threw open the doors and stalked out into the gardens, seeking to calm herself amongst the buds, flowers and trees, just as she had always done at the Schnee family manor in Atlas. As she walked the paved pathways, bordered by well-kept flowerbeds filled with every colour of flora imaginable. Ever since she was small, Weiss had found solace walking in the gardens. Perhaps it was the order and organisation of it all, the sheer amount off effort and variation that the gardeners went to to create such slices of heaven or perhaps it was the feeling of being out in the open air and surrounded by all that was good and beautiful in the world.

The gravel path cork-screwed its way around a small hillock up to the very top where there stood an old oak tree with a bench carved out of its twisted mass of roots, the tree's mighty trunk was covered in a vast mat of lichens and mosses. Overhead its branches formed a solid umbrella of leaves shading the bench below and bathing it is green light as the bright sunlight shone through the canopy above.

She unsheathed Myrtenaster and jabbed it into the ground in front of the bench before taking a seat to look out over the gardens. The view was incredible and soon helped her forget all of her stresses and concerns. The various fragrances from the multitude of flowers below all blended together to form one perfume so pleasant that should Weiss have had a bottle of it she would have worn it every day.

She sat back with a sigh, content to watch the world go by around her. The flowers below waving gently in the breeze and the puffy clouds above wheeling over her. It was perhaps the most relaxing setting on the whole campus. The Heiress was brought back into reality by the sounds of gravel crunching underfoot, sitting upright and her frosty exterior returning she prepared to meet her visitor.

To her surprise it was the headmaster himself. Ozpin made his way up the slope at a steady pace despite using a cane. Weiss had assumed that he had an old hunting wound and needed his cane to walk properly and yet he showed no signs of a limp in his gait. He walked over towards the bench and motioned with his hand to the free space on the bench beside her.

"Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all." In reality, Weiss minded very much but years of etiquette training in Atlas had taught her to be polite despite everything. Ozpin thanked her and took a seat on the polished wood of the bench.

"Miss Schnee, I hear that you have had a bit of a dispute with Mr Arc and believe I made a mistake in appointing him. Is this true?" He asked after a while. His voice calm and neutral, neither swayed towards nor against the young Heiress. This didn't stop her from blushing in sheer embarrassment at the question.

"I-it is sir." She admitted.

"And what is it that led you to that belief?" He locked her with his deep brown eyes.

"Well he can barely look after himself! His combat is amateurish at best and he is completely incapable in the field! He has no self restraint, is a completely irresponsible dolt and has no idea how to lead!" She explained, her voice rising in volume as she went on. Ozpin waited patiently until she was finished completely.

"Miss Schnee, Mr Arc may well be all of those things but he is still your team leader. As his teammate, your strengths fuel his strengths and your downfalls are his. As his team you must all support him just as he must support you. Think of your team as four pieces of wood, individually you are easily broken and scattered to the four winds, but together you present a much stronger force than if you were apart. Leadership isn't based of physical strength, being able to swing a sword doesn't make you a leader. A leader must have a tactical mind. Mr Arc demonstrated that when he proposed his plan to bring down the Nevermore."

"But what about his academic abilities? Won't he bring the team down?" She continued, seeking to drive her point home.

"What about them? If he falls down, you as his team should pull him up. A team is a symbiotic circle with the team supporting their leader wherever possible and vice versa. It is only the first day Miss Schnee, give Mr Arc a chance to settle into his new role and adapt. You never know, he may pleasantly surprise you."

Weiss fell silent as she digested all that the headmaster had said. Perhaps he was right, she had been rather hasty is casting her aspersions on him as a leader. Well, if it was true that as a member of team JSPR she had to support her leader, then she would do just that. She was going to be the very best teammate that Jaune could have.

"I think I'll take my leave, Professor Goodwitch has likely noticed that I have snuck out by now. I had best get back, enjoy the rest of your afternoon." He smiled, standing up and walking away again.

* * *

><p>Roman leant back in his small chair with his feet on the nearby table, taking long drags on his cigar and blowing clouds of smoke. A single lantern lit up a fair sized area around the table and was otherwise his only real source of illumination. In his free hand he had an uncorked bottle of the finest Mistralian wine, an excellent vintage to be sure.<p>

All around him were stacked cargo containers some three high and two deep. Every one of them was marked with a large white snowflake and the words Schnee Dust Company as well as numerous hazard signs explaining the explosive nature of their respective contents. All in all it had been an excellent haul, one for the record books.

The warehouse he was situated in made for the best place to stash the dust, it was one of the SDC's disused and abandoned properties by the docks, dating back to when dust was shipped by sea. After numerous pirate attacks, they were forced to transport the crystals directly from the quarries to their destination by both rail and air. As such, the dock storehouses were abandoned and left to rot.

"Ah, Roman. Are you quite comfortable enough?" A sultry female voice asked from beyond the lit circle. Golden eyes glowed ominously in the dark as a tall and slender woman stepped into view. She was wearing a long sleeved red silk dress which fell to her mid thigh. It was decorated with fantastical patterns is golden thread all the way up the arms

"Cinder!" He cried out in surprise, bringing his feet off the table and almost dropping the bottle in his hand.

"Oh I'm sorry, did I interrupt your little...celebration?" She chuckled.

"Well, yeah... We now own most of the dust in Vale. I've got this whole town running scared." He smirked holding his arms out wide proudly showing off his haul.

"That's very nice Roman. But mostly pointless, your robberies were just a distraction after all. A plot to keep everyone's eyes away from the real threat. We're ready to move onto phase two, I need you to be prepared to go when I give the signal."

Before Roman could even answer she was gone again leaving him wondering if she had ever been there at all. With a resigned sigh he sat back down taking a long draught from the bottle. Events had been set in motion that could not been reversed, events that Vale would likely never forget.

* * *

><p><strong>So what did you think? Be sure to let me know in the reviews. One of you mentioned that Jaune might be a little OP which was true. It was pretty interesting to write the disputes within the team, as well as Ozpin's intervention. He strikes me as the type to play god with the teams to try and open their eyes and get them thinking differently.<strong>

**Please follow and favourite if you liked it, I'll try and get the next chapter written within the week since next weekend is my 18th birthday party and lord knows what state I'll be in the day afterwards. If I don't get it written by then I'm sorry.**

**I have been TheFlagshipArkos, you have been my awesome readers and as always; I'll see you all in the next chapter.**


	5. The Masters Take their Pupil

**Hello everyone, hope you're all OK. There was an incredible reaction to the last chapter, I think I almost died when I saw the increase in reviews, favourites and follows. In other news, this story is now above the 100 follower count which is truly incredible, especially after only four chapters! I really cannot thank you all enough for the support that you have shown for my writing. I still get such a kick from seeing names pop up as new followers for my work. It is you, the readers, that make all of this possible. Without you all I wouldn't be able to keep improving and writing what I love, well I could keep writing but what's the point if there's no-one to share it with. Anyway, I have rambled on for quite long enough. On with the story!**

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><p>"Seven hundred and thirty three." Jaune confirmed with a nod. It had taken him a little while but he had finally, after double-checking thirteen times, established the precise number of tiles on both the ceiling and the floor of his room in the infirmary. Counting them had been his only source of entertainment for the past three hours.<p>

With his team having been sent back into lessons, the blonde was left all alone for the best part of the day with next to no-one to talk to. He had enjoyed brief conversations with the various nurses and doctors that had come in to check on him or deliver his various meals, but for the most part he was left to his own devices.

It was the last day though, the final few hours of his forced imprisonment. After many unsuccessful attempts at coaxing the information out of them, one of the nurses had finally cracked and told him that he would be free to go just that afternoon. All he had to do was wait it out, the only problem was that Jaune had never been particularly good at waiting games.

The wounded knight sighed and adjusted his angle of recline on his bed, groaning as his bruised and battered body ached and moaned in protest. The bruises had gone down somewhat since his bout with Cardin the previous day but would most likely mark him for at least a full week. He was simply grateful to be able to open both of his eyes again, the swelling around his left one had gone down but he still had an absolute shiner of a black-eye as a memento.

Jaune closed his eyes and let his mind wander of the events of the past few days, his lucky escape after launch during initiation, his second lucky escape as Pyrrha stepped in and saved him from the Kraiken, going on to kill the aquatic Grimm, meeting the others, the Nevermore. The list went on and on growing ever longer. So much had happened to him in such a short space of time that it almost seemed that life was running away with him.

He couldn't complain of course, in coming to Beacon he had made more friends than he had ever had back at home. His sisters had made sure to see off any girls that might have sought to befriend him let alone develop any form of romantic relationship with him. That coupled with the fact that most of the boys in the village used him as a means of trying to get close to any one of his six older sisters, had resulted in a rather lonely childhood for the blonde.

But that had all changed the moment he got onto that airship to Vale. That moment had undoubtedly changed the course of his life irreparably. It had led to him meeting Yang and Ruby, becoming the leader of his own team and being partnered up with _the_ 'Pumpkin Pete's' mascot. Not too shabby given that he had achieved it all in just three days.

Then again it wasn't all sunshine and roses, in the process he had been beaten half to death and thrown around a sparring arena like a rag doll, showing everyone gathered just how incapable he really was in terms of combat. Weiss had taken an extreme disliking to his position of authority and had done all but declare a blood feud with him. Like it or not, if their team was going to do well, he would have to win the heiress over. Maybe Ruby would have some idea as to how he might go about doing that.

His teammates came to visit him later that day after their final class for the day ended. Ruby bolted in at lightning speed to take one of the chairs by his bed, rose petals hanging in the air in her wake. Pyrrha followed shortly after, her demeanour as calm as ever as she too took a seat in one of the room's chairs.

Weiss was the last to enter, her frosty atmosphere sending a chill through the room. Her icy blue eyes locked onto the bed ridden knight and for an instant he could've sworn that he saw the slightest hint of empathy within them, but it was gone long before he could confirm it. She took a seat on the second bed within the room.

"How are you feeling today Jaune?" Pyrrha asked with a smile.

"A lot better now you're all here. It's not everyday that a guy like me gets a visit from three absolute beauties." He grinned in response. Both Ruby and Pyrrha giggled, their cheeks turning pink while Weiss simply rolled her eyes and sighed, clearly not impressed.

"How long are they keeping you in here Arc?" She asked frostily.

"They say that I should be good to go this afternoon. Just waiting on them to come and sign me out I guess." He shrugged, eyes flicking to the door. He almost hoped that one of the nurses might walk in at that moment to prove his point.

"You must be super excited huh?" Ruby chirped enthusiastically, tugging at his elbow.

"Y-yeah, to be honest It'll be nice to get some proper food. This hospital stuff isn't bad I mean, it could be a lot worse. It's just that it isn't exactly... nice either."

"Oh I know! We can go into Vale to celebrate you getting better!" She practically squealed in her excitement, leaping to her feet and knocking over her chair.

"I'd like that Ruby." He smiled, absolutely adoring her at that very moment. Going out to Vale would give him a chance to get to know his team and even convince Weiss that maybe he wasn't such a bad guy after all.

"Then it's settled. It would be a good chance for us to bond as a team." Pyrrha said with a smile giving his hand a gentle shake. "Now, I'm going to try and find a nurse to discharge you so we can get going." She explained as she made her way to the door.

Jaune watched her go with a smile and settled in to wait. It couldn't be long now. He could practically feel the sun on his face, the breeze through his hair and the fresh air in his lungs. It was strange to him how after only a couple of days couped up inside without these things in a stale infirmary room, that he had come to appreciate them so much more.

_'I swear I'm never going to take fresh air and sunshine for granted ever again' _He promised himself.

* * *

><p>Jaune and his team sat in their own little booth, cut off from the rest of the airship's passengers. Conversation flowed freely between the three girls but for the most part, Jaune stayed out of it. His stomach was playing up with his motion-sickness again. His face was a tinge of putrid green and it took all of his concentration to help keep his mind off of the waves of nausea flowing over him.<p>

For him it made little sense, none of his sisters suffered from motion-sickness, neither did his parents. He was the black sheep in that regard, and it was a curse that had caused him a great deal of difficulty in the past. It wasn't just planes either, any vehicle seemed to be able to stir it up within him.

Looking out the window, he watched as the ship flew over Vale, the vast and intricate web of buildings and roads passing by seamlessly below them. It was always a wonder for him to see the capital of the kingdom. A wealthy port city and the centre of trade in vale, although the means of import have changed a great deal, the city remained the same.

Jaune bolted off of the craft, the moment that it had set down in Vale's airship station. He stood breathing great lungfuls of the fresh air, thoroughly glad to be back on firm ground. The knight waited briefly until his teammates managed to catch up to him before the four of them all made their way into the city centre.

"So where is it that we're going?" Jaune asked the three girls around him. They had organised the whole thing without him, leaving him well and truly in the dark.

"You'll have to wait and see!" Ruby chirped giving him a playful punch on the arm. Jaune wasn't best pleased by her response but if living with his sisters had taught him anything, it was that you can't beat girls at their own games. He would have to wait and see.

With a resigned sigh the blonde turned his attentions to their surroundings, taking in all he could of the city's sights from the architecture to the atmosphere itself. It had been a great many years since he had last been in the city and it was just as he remembered it, the sights and smells were much the same.

The city of Vale was so alive, people from all walks of life bustling about, completely absorbed in their own daily lives. Mothers walked around with their children, office workers in the rush of their lives. The city was simply a hive of activity.

Great buildings and grand plazas stretched out one after the other, all interconnected by roads and bicycle lanes. Huge stone arches marking the entrances to ornate buildings and offices, it was like walking through a city from another time. A time in which Grimm were only a distant thought and grandeur was the order of the day.

The girls led him into Vale's down-town district, past rows and rows of small businesses selling items ranging from books to great swords fully eight feet in length, although how someone might wield those weapons escaped Jaune entirely.

Ruby looked like she was walking on air as she led their little procession, her partner keep pace beside her. This left both Pyrrha and Jaune at the back of the column, both admiring the scenery.

Pyrrha smiled as she looked around, in all her times visiting Vale it never ceased to amaze her just how vast the cultural differences were. She could never quite get used to the grand buildings with their wide arches, they presented a stark contrast to the forums and basilica of her homeland, yet in a way she preferred it. It was less imposing and seemed more free than the imposing columns and grid set planning of Mistral.

Before long Ruby called a halt, stopping them in front of a small pizzeria. The aroma coming from within was pungent, rich with the smells of cheeses, garlic and savoury meats. It was enough to set their mouths watering. Ruby was practically champing at the bit and looking at Weiss with a pleading expression.

"Ruby, I though we were going to the Mistralian restaurant down the road?" The heiress asked with an impatient sigh, seemingly immune to Ruby's puppy-dog eyes.

"But Weiss they have stuffed crust meat lovers!" She begged.

"Ruby, we are meant to be getting Jaune some _decent_ food after his stay in the infirmary."

"Stuffed crust Weiss! You can eat it _backwards!_" Jaune couldn't help but laugh at the little rose's valiant defence, but the heiress wouldn't be moved.

"You know I don't really mind where we go..." He spoke up sheepishly

"Fine! We'll take a vote. The Mistralian place or Ruby's _pizzeria_._" _She spoke with a tone of what seemed to be disgust when referring to Ruby's pizza place.

"Pizza!" Ruby cried fist pumping the sky excitedly.

"Very well, Arc?" Weiss said rolling her eyes.

"I uh... I don't mind." He replied weakly. In truth he didn't mind, both sounded incredible after two days eating the bland cuisine that Beacon provided their sick.

"Typical." She groaned "Well I vote Mistralian, so the deciding vote goes to you Pyrrha. What is your choice?"

The champion looked a little unsettled at having the power of veto given to her. Her eyes shifted nervously between the two opposed members of her team before giving Jaune a pleading look. The blonde simply shrugged apologetically.

"Well..." She spoke hesitantly "It would be nice to get something Mistralian, for a taste of home." Weiss smiled victoriously, Ruby's eyes filled with disappointment. "But, we have all trained really hard to be here so I think a little bit of a treat is deserved. I vote Pizza!" The champion giggled as the heiress' face dropped. Her eye twitched slightly in what looked to be suppressed rage.

With three smiling faces and one thoroughly annoyed heiress the team all made their way through into the restaurant. The atmosphere was a pleasant one, plenty of booths for the diners as well as some small free standing tables. Despite its out of the way location it was nearly full to capacity, the low hum of several conversations at once.

They made their way over to one of the unoccupied booths and took their seats on the red vinyl. Ruby immediately took up the menu and unfolded it, holding it between the three of them excitedly reading a pizza's description once in a while.

"So what shall we get?" She asked, practically bouncing around in her seat.

"H-how about a vegetarian? That's quite healthy right?" Pyrrha suggested, her eyes clearly scanning worriedly over the calorie counter by each title.

"Pyrrha, its cheat day remember? You'll burn it all off in training anyway." Ruby grinned.

"I-I guess you're right..."

"How about we order a massive pizza between us and everyone just eats however much they'd like?" Jaune suggested

"That sounds like a good idea." Pyrrha smiled. "Is that alright with you Weiss?"

The heiress herself was sat a little away from the others, her arms crossed with the queen of all pouts on her face. It was clear that the high and mighty heiress wasn't best pleased to be in such an establishments. After a lifetime of living on pauzu tuna caviar and gourmet cuisine from the finest chefs in the world, the humble pizza must have seemed like the lowest of the low.

"I don't mind nor do I care. Order what you like, I'll just have a salad." She said with a sigh.

"Weiss we cant just gorge ourselves whilst you eat a salad. Enjoy a pizza with us, we're a team now..." Jaune's attempt to convince her was weak at best but what he said was true. It wouldn't be right for them to abandon her to a meal of leaves while they ate like kings in comparison.

"Arc I will not put this trash into my body. You may all do as you like but I will not eat it." She remained resolute.

"Please Weiss, you don't have to eat much. Just a slice?" Ruby pleaded. Weiss only glared in return, though it was softer than usual and lacking its usual malice.

"Fine." She conceded "But only one slice."

* * *

><p>A couple of hours later, they all re-emerged onto Vale's streets substantially full of pizza. Weiss had eaten by far the most despite her insistence in having only one slice, she had actually polished off a full six. Jaune had battled his way through alongside Ruby to meet four each while Pyrrha had only managed two.<p>

The bustling streets of Vale had died down significantly since they had entered the little pizzeria. Dusk had passed leaving the city in twilight, the bright street lamps the only source of illumination in what would have otherwise been an incredibly dark world. Their lights casting a pale luminescence all around them and creating havens from the pitch black night around. Last bastions of hope in the gloom.

Team Jasper navigated their way through this world, oblivious to all around them and wrapped up in their own conversations. Even Weiss, the Ice Queen herself, seemed to be in high spirits. It filled Jaune with hope that maybe with enough time they could break past her frosty exterior and through to the real Weiss underneath. The Weiss before them now, light-hearted and quick witted.

They navigated their way through the eerily quiet streets and over to the airship station again. With every step Jaune's trepidation grew. Flying for him was never a pleasant affair with his motion-sickness, but things got a whole lot worse when he flew on a full stomach. He steeled his nerves, determined to keep his dinner down. All of the molten cheese burns in his mouth would have been for nothing if he couldn't hold it in long enough for them to return to Beacon.

Fortunately for the four teenagers, there was one last scheduled flight to Beacon that evening. They showed their Beacon identification and walked through the terminal to board their aircraft. Jaune took the aisle seat, his mind working overtime to identify the various exits and trash cans as their aircraft lifted off.

The moment Jaune felt them take to the air his stomach growled and began to churn until he had a raging tempest within. Relief came in the form of the red-haired champion. She slowly ran circles across his back with her hand, soothing his stomach and granting him a vague semblance of control. This did not however, prevent his face from turning the darkest shade of green.

The flight was relatively short and painless with little more than a couple of dry-heaves from the knight. As per the usual, he was the first off of the craft feeling relief as his feet met with the solid and unwavering earth. Pyrrha and Ruby both felt some relief at his face having returned to the usual pale colour of his complexion.

JSPR walked slowly across the campus and back towards the dorms, save for a couple of night owls out for a stroll, they didn't encounter another living thing. It was utterly quiet, the sound of their footsteps the only thing ringing out in the silence. Reaching to dorms, Weiss swiped her scroll past the lock. It clicked and she pushed it open to reveal their dorm room. Making their way in, each of the four teenagers broke off to initiate their respective nightly routines before settling into their beds. Jaune collapsed onto the soft mattress with a low moan of comfort. It beat the infirmary beds by far.

With a relaxed smile the blonde closed his eyes, allowing his mind to wander and his dreams to take over. His breathing became deeper and far slower as he drifted off to sleep, dreams of mighty heroes vanquishing the hatred filled creatures of Grimm filled his head as the night wore on. The shattered moon completed its run across the sky and sank below the horizon, trading places with the sun once more.

* * *

><p>Classes passed quickly for Jaune the next day, time racing by until he was free once again. Even Port's lecture proved to be more entertaining that usual, Yang was called up to fight a raging Boarbatusk at the front. The knight had questioned whether or not that was strictly allowed, but seeing as how they were all enrolled in a school for hunters and huntresses it most likely was.<p>

Once the class was over team JSPR made their way through to the dorm rooms and changed out of their uniforms into their more relaxed clothing, that is if you could call armour 'relaxed'. Once feeling a little more comfortable and after Weiss had spent a full ten minutes hanging and storing her uniform in a suit protector, they rendezvoused with team BRNY and headed off to the library to hit the books. It had once again been the heiress' idea that they all work together on their assignments and get them done as quickly as possible.

The library was the largest Jaune had ever seen in his life. Row upon row of oak wood shelves all bulging to breaking point with hundreds of thousands of tomes, manuals and text books. Perhaps the entirety of Vytal's written knowledge was stacked up in front of them. An impressive sight to see, that much was for certain.

The two teams occupied one of the old and worn tables, their various books and the mountains of paper occupying the whole tabletop without a millimetre to spare. To Jaune's immense surprise it was Weiss who occupied the seat beside him, seemingly rushing to beat both Pyrrha and Ruby to it. It confused him why she would go out of her way to do so, but he couldn't complain.

Jaune and his friends worked solidly for well over an hour, the afternoon winding on until one by one they all lost the motivation they had started with. They each found numerous ways to distract themselves from the task at hand. All of them save for both Jaune and Weiss.

The blonde leader worked on, ignoring the burning desire to call it quits and join the others in their shenanigans. Ozpin's words still resonated within him, driving him to do the absolute best that he possibly could. The occasional word of advice from Weiss acted as a fantastic motivator, it was never obvious and she never directly told him what to do. Rather she would pose it in the form of a question and press him into working it out for himself, pushing him towards self improvement.

When at last he had completed the assignment for Oobleck he set down his pen in triumph. His wrist had locked up, his arm ached and was covered in ink but he had done it, a seven thousand word essay on General Lagoon's forces at the battle of fort castle. He might have had a little bit of help along the way, but predominantly it was his work and he was proud of it. He settled more comfortably into his seat and allowed himself to relax.

A curious Weiss seized his papers and looked it over with a critical eye, a subtle smile of satisfaction on her face, little more than the curling up of the corners of her mouth, but it was there. It wasn't the most eloquent nor best articulated piece of work but it was good, he had even made a few points on the General's tactical decisions that she hadn't even considered. Setting it down back in front of him, she returned to her own work to add the finishing touches before she too set down her pen.

Team BRNY were the first ones to leave, heading off for the training facility to get in some sparring practice before their next class with Goodwitch. Ruby excused herself and followed after them, excited at the opportunity to get in some practice with her beloved scythe, the Crescent Rose.

Jaune stood up and walked over to the historical section of the library before returning with an aged leather bound book about six inches thick. The ancient tome had clearly seen better days, the leather cover was battered and scuffed. Along the spine, written in gold lettering was written the title; _'The Arc family, their history and deeds.' _Embossed proudly across the front, in stark contrast the its tattered surroundings was Jaune's family crest. Two crescent arcs, in bright gold to match the title. Weiss looked at him inquisitively to which he shrugged.

"My dad said they had a book here about the family, thought I might check it out."

"It would make sense, copies of the histories for most of the old families can be found here, my own included." Weiss explained.

He opened the archaic book and blew away the dust which had accumulated after what must have been years without being touched. On the very first page was listed the name of his five-times great-grandfather Charlemagne I. The founder of the Arc family and one of the greatest huntsmen of the first age. On the page was an portrait of the man in question, fantastically drawn. The colours had faded and lost their intensity yet the overall effect hadn't diminished.

He was tall and proud looking with locks of bright blonde hair hanging over his eyes. Adorned in bright white plate armour similar to that which Jaune wore himself and with Crocea Mors in hand he cut an imposing image. His facial expression was stern yet there was a certain sparkle that the artist had captured in his eyes. A small attribution was written underneath.

_'Charlemagne Arc, the first of his name. Huntsman of the first men. Famed for his heroic actions in the defence of Vale in the first days in which he slew the rampaging Ursa to save the lives of many innocents.'_

Jaune paused for a moment, pondering the meaning of the words before him. He had known from the stories his father would tell that he was descended from a proud line of huntsmen and huntresses, they were the reason that he had wanted to become one, yet to see the deeds of his ancestors laid bare before him was a surreal experience indeed. He flicked through the various pages, occasionally lingering on a certain name that he had been told stories of.

Each and every name had a story behind it, some with more impressive tales than others but every single one of them a story of heroism and bravery in the face of adversity. It made Jaune proud to know that their blood flowed through his veins, yet also filled him with pangs of shame. What would they say if they could see him now? Sat there almost as battered and bruised as the book in his hands. He couldn't so much as hold a candle to them.

His emotional turmoil must have shown on his face because Pyrrha's hand found itself resting on his own. He started slightly at the contact and almost withdrew from it entirely, yet something stayed his hand.

"What's wrong Jaune?" She asked, her voice soft and kind.

"I-It's just reading all the heroic things that my ancestors did in the past kinda makes me feel like I'm a little bit of a let down. They were the reason that I wanted to become a huntsman in the first place."

"Jaune, I'm sure they wouldn't see you as a let down, you're only just starting on the path of a huntsman. You have another four years at Beacon before you even start your duties. That's plenty of time to improve and work at becoming the very best that you can be."

"How am I supposed to do that when I can barely hold my own in a fight. I got through initiation because of a stupid amount of luck. I would have died on landing if it hadn't been for that lake, they I was nearly eaten! If you hadn't have shown up I would have ended up as fish food."

"But you didn't Jaune."

"By luck more than judgement!"

The cogs in Pyrrha's mind whirred for a few moments as she concocted a solution to his predicament, Jaune looked on feeling a little awkward at the sudden stop in their conversation. He was about to question her on it when quite suddenly she seized his hand and dragged him away from the table and towards the door, leaving Weiss behind to put all of their books back.

"Pyrrha! Come back here and help me tidy up!" She called after the redhead, ignoring the angry looks from the librarian.

"I'm sorry!" Came the reply. Weiss huffed and stacked the various books, carrying them off to return them. She was frustrated, yet her frustration was completely overshadowed by her pride. Her first attempt at helping Arc seemed to be going well, indeed none of the others seemed to be any the wiser, even Arc himself was oblivious. That was the plan, subtle intervention. She couldn't help but wonder however, what idea Pyrrha had that had caused her to drag him out so suddenly...

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><p>"Training?" Jaune asked in utter surprise, still a little unsure that he had heard her correctly.<p>

"Yes. You said that you weren't happy with your combat proficiency so we can train to make it better." She explained with a smile.

"But why did you bring me up to the roof?"

"Nobody ever comes up here, we can train for as long as we like without interruption."

Jaune was silent for a good while as he considered her offer, he knew his combat abilities were in dire need of improvement if he didn't want to end up in the infirmary after every one of Goodwitch's lessons. On top of that, Pyrrha _was_ the Mistral champion and had been for four years running, if anyone would be able to whip him into shape in a relatively short time it would be her, plus she was his partner so it presented a good opportunity to strengthen the bond that they shared.

"O-OK, I'll do it." He nodded, a determined look in his eyes despite the nerves on his face. The champion looked positively delighted by his response as she leapt forward and flung her arms around him in a tight hug. Once the shock of the sudden contact had worn off and she had loosened her grip slightly to allow him to breathe, he slowly wrapped his arms around her as a blush crept across his face.

"This is going to be so much fun!" She chirped happily. Her bright smile was only matched by the sparkle in her emerald eyes. She seemed truly over the moon that he had agreed, perhaps because it was an opportunity for her to introduce him to the world that she had grown up in.

"So uh? When do we start?" He asked nervously.

"Now!" She said as she gave him a firm push to the chest, he over balanced and fell to the hard stone of the rooftop.

"Ow~ What was that for?" He whined looking up at her.

"Your stance is all wrong. You need to be wider, and lower to the ground. Shall we try again?" She answered with a smirk, offering him a hand up. He took it, hauling his bruised self up and off the ground.

It was there, on that rooftop under the dying afternoon sun that Jaune began his training. He knew he would have to work hard to catch up to the others, after all he would have to condense training that would normally take years into only a few weeks. Determination flared in his eyes at the thought. He could do it, no, he _would_ do it.

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><p><strong>I hope you all enjoyed that. Leave me a review and let me know what you think, I read them all. Now that the plot is beginning to advance at a steady pace, it shouldn't be too long before I can start to bring in team CRME and their nefarious plans. To tell the truth I am thoroughly excited. Please do follow and favourite if you enjoyed this, I try and keep the updates regular. Thank you all so much once again for reading, reviewing and helping to grow this story. It truly does mean a lot to me to know that you are enjoying my work. Take care all of you and as always I'll see you in the next chapter.<strong>


	6. A Fall into Forever Fall

**Hello everyone, this has been a busy few days for me. Three chapters having been released, that is unheard of! With 'The Sword and Spear' now finished, I can start turning my full attentions towards A Rose for the Champion, and oh boy am I excited for this one. Anyway, here is the next chapter, enjoy.**

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><p>Jaune grunted as he slammed into the cold and unforgiving stone of the rooftop for what seemed to be the hundredth time that night, putting fresh tears in his clothes and grazing yet more of his flesh from both his knees and elbows. It had always been the same result to begin with, he and Pyrrha would spar and he would have the seven shades knocked out of him until he was physically too numb to get back up again. Even then the champion wouldn't ease up on him, she would sit the two of them cross legged in the centre of the roof to work on his aura manipulation.<p>

It was a relentless, no-holds-barred kind of training and yet it wasn't for nought. The first change that the blonde had noticed was the alteration and re-profiling of his body. He had been stripped of any baby fat that he had, and slowly shifted and changed into a much more lean and, to his immense joy, muscular form. Unlike when they had first begun and he had regularly been going to bed beaten black and blue, their fights had shifted and become a little more even. He by no means matched her in skill, far from it.

Rather he was able to hold his own for more than a few strikes and even counter attack when the opportunity had presented itself. In stark contrast to his heavy-handed, flailing attempts at combat he had grown and developed. He had a far greater grasp on what was going on around him and his attacks now flowed more smoothly and naturally. He now wasn't the only one going to bed with bruises after their training sessions.

Of his Partner, Jaune couldn't have possibly asked for a better teacher. She was insistent and determined in her efforts, often pausing their sparring matches to adapt and repeat a specific set of movements until her pupil could have performed them upside-down and blindfolded. She proved to be incredibly patient when instructing him, a quality that he was eternally grateful for.

Her gloved hand entered his view and taking it, she hauled him to his feet. She gave him a soft smile and clasped his shoulder with her hand giving it a quick and reassuring squeeze.

"That was very good Jaune, just remember your to move your feet a little more. It doesn't do to stand still on the battlefield."Jaune nodded shy She spoke with an air of confidence, born through years of training sessions just like this one. Merciless and unrelenting, very much a sink or swim environment. Jaune had learned that on day one. He had been forced to hit the ground running as match after match was thrown at him. To say it was a shock to his system would have been a severe understatement.

"Let's go over the forms again." She said as more of a suggestion than anything.

Jaune nodded and adopted his 'en garde' stance with his feet shoulder width apart and his shoulders back with Crocea Mors held out infront in a relaxed grip just like the Champion had taught him to.

"Very good." She stepped up behind him and pressed into him using her own hands and feet to guide his as they swept through the various forms and transitional movements. Jaune blushed and felt the hairs on his neck stand on end as he felt her 'assets' pressed against him. He locked his eyes forwards and fought to focus solidly on the wall ahead of him.

He completed the movements over and over until Pyrrha was seemingly satisfied with his execution, standing back for the final few to observe his technique. With a nod of finality she stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder prompting him to stop, he turned and looked at her in confusion.

"I think that will do for tonight Jaune. We can resume tomorrow, for now I think it might be best if we took an early night. You've been working very hard lately and we don't want to be too tired for the field trip tomorrow, come on." She smiled.

"That sounds good." Jaune replied, he wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth. Folding away his shield, he sheathed his sword and walked at her side as they left the rooftop. They enjoyed pleasant small talk on their way back to the JSPR dorm, talk of things other than training and weaponry for once, making for an enjoyable break from the usual tempo of their talks and giving them a chance to be the teenagers that they were.

Jaune listened intently as Pyrrha told him of a time she found a gyrfalcon with a broken wing back in Mistral and had taken it in nursing it back to health again over a period of many months.

"Her name was Fawkes. It was in the woodlands by my childhood home when I was no more than ten, I was walking as I often did in the summer months when I heard her distressed cries. By the time I found her she was so very weak, the carrion birds were beginning to circle and I believe that she had given up on hope. I rushed her home to my father with tears in my eyes. He took one look at her and told me that she was too far gone, that I should take her out into the woods and finish her off. I begged and pleaded with him to save her and together he and I set her wing, dressed it and fed her. Every day I would run home from school to check on Fawkes. I even built her a nest in my room out of a shoe box and some old clothes, nothing made me happier at the time than coming home after school or training than being met by that bird. But eventually her wing grew strong enough for her to fly and we had to let her go. I walked with her in her little shoebox nest out to a small lake and released her. I was so sad to see her go, but watching the sheer grace with which she flew after so long trapped on the ground and seeing the look in her eye when she was finally free after so long, I knew I had done the right thing. All those months of care and tentative love had all been worth it in that single moment. My father asked me when I came home why I had done it, why I had gone to all that effort to save the life of that creature and I told him; No hunter of the skies should end its days as prey. Better they die on the wing than pinned to the ground. That was the day I decided to become a huntress, so that I wouldn't end my life as prey." She finished as they entered the hall containing their dorm. The redhead looked at him with a soft smile and a solitary tear running down her cheek. It had been a long time since she had shared that memory with anyone, and to finally do so had brought forth more emotions than she had anticipated. She was surprised when her partner wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into a warm embrace, rubbing her back in a slow and soothing pattern. Her cheeks steadily turning red, she was slow to reciprocate at first, she rested her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arms tightly around him.

Their hug was interrupted by a loud bang and the sound of splintering wood as Nora burst through the door to BRNY's dorm and set off at a break neck sprint down the corridor. Jaune and Pyrrha were forced to separate and throw themselves off to either side as the Valkyrie ran past laughing maniacally. Followed by an enraged Yang, eyes red and hair aflame, her semblance having kicked in.

"Nora you get back here right now!" the brawler bellowed as she gave chase.

Jaune and Pyrrha turned back round to look at the door of BRNY's dorm room. Ren and Blake were both stood with wide eyes gawking down the hallway after their partners. Walking over to them Jaune was the first to speak, snapping them out of their stupor.

"Uh... Why did Yang just run after Nora with murderous intent written all over her face?" He asked with a nervous laugh. Ren was the one to explain, he sighed and shook his head woefully.

"I made pancakes and Nora splashed a little bit of syrup on Yang's hair... She thought Yang's reaction was funny and before I could stop her she had dumped half a jar on her..."

"Huh... so you pushed the hair button... you shouldn'ta did that..." The blonde said with a smirk. "In all seriousness though, don't you think you should go after them before Yang rips apart half the school?"

Ren and Blake both looked at each other and rolled their eyes setting off at a dead sprint in the direction that their partners had taken off. Once they were gone Jaune looked at his partner, and she at him. They were silent for a moment before breaking into side splitting laughter, falling to the floor in their mirth.

Weiss opened the door to JSPR's dorm behind them and stepped out with her hands balled into fists and rested on her hips. She had her hair up in her usual ponytail but was wearing an apron with the slogan _'This chef does it with spice!'_ emblazoned across the front and had a spatula in hand. All she needed was a set of glasses and she could have resembled a culinary Goodwitch.

"Just what is going on out here?!" The diminutive heiress demanded.

Both the knight and the champion stopped for a moment and looked up at the heiress, tears of laughter still rolling down their cheeks. They took one look at her and broke down laughing again. Their lungs burned and begged for air, their sides ached and it hurt to smile any longer when they finally brought their laughter back under control. They felt bad for laughing at her, it was simply that the image was so bizarre.

"Are you quite finished?" She asked with a bright blush.

"Y-yes... Sorry Weiss..." Pyrrha said with a suppressed giggle.

"What's with the outfit Snow Angel?" Jaune asked with a smirk, using her most hated nickname.

"Well if you _must_ know, I was making us all dinner for when you got back from training. I thought that we might all need some decent food before our trip tomorrow." She explained, still sounding a little flustered.

"That sounds _lovely_ Weiss, thank you." Pyrrha said with a smile stepping past her and into the dorm room making for the shower.

"Finally some appreciation!" She cried turning around and heading into their dorm room's small kitchenette. It wasn't a big room, but it was fitted with everything that they could have possibly needed. There was a small fridge, cooker and work surface. Set on the wall were a group of three cupboards, all ready-stocked with pans and plates. They had been eternally thankful to find the kitchen fully kitted out on arrival, saving them having to shop for pans, plates and cutlery.

Jaune stepped over to his bed, undoing the leather straps that held his armour in place and dropping the white metal plates to the floor with a clang. He groaned and stripped out of his down to his boxers. He grabbed some fresh clothes and headed for the dorm's bathroom.

Team JSPR's en-suite was a modest affair, nothing too fancy but, like the kitchenette, it catered to their needs. The walls were covered with white tiles while the floor was made up of slabs of slate, every hue of the rainbow. Set along one wall was a single long surface, above which hung a large mirror. Across from it was their shower-bath, into which the knight stepped.

He switched the water on and almost leapt back out with a yelp, it was freezing cold. After a few seconds the water reached temperature. He stepped back under the torrent and allowed the warm water to flow over his bruised and weary body. He could feel his various muscles beginning to relax and the knots begin to work themselves out.

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><p>JSPR had just finished with the bathroom when Weiss finished plating up. Ruby had returned from a small excursion into the emerald forest, her clothes covered in fresh blood from a multitude of Grimm. Jaune winced at her stories and felt what he was sure was pity well up within him for any of the beasts that were unfortunate to cross paths with the little Rose. She was quite literally 'the Grimm Reaper.'<p>

Weiss handed them each a plate before settling down on her bed with hers on her lap. She looked around the room at each of her teammates with something like hesitant expectancy. Jaune looked at the food she had given him and to her credit, it looked good. It wasn't anything to complicated but it was wholesome. Mashed potatoes, carrots and suede with some sausages all covered in onion gravy.

Jaune shrugged and took his first bite. He was pleasantly surprised, the potatoes were creamy and the sausages perfectly done with a crispy skin and moist. He looked at the Schnee with a surprised expression.

"Weiss, this is incredible." He said with a mouthful. "Where did you learn to cook like this?" Weiss seemed to bloom with pride at his compliment.

"I grew up in the family mansion in Atlas. Being surrounded by such wealth meant that we could afford for the finest chefs world wide to cook for us. One day, I went to the kitchen's and asked for a recipe. The chef was only too happy to show me how he made these recipes. It soon became a regular thing, I would go into the kitchens before dinner and he would take me through his processes step by step. After a while I would cook alongside him cooking my own meals. He was my best friend at the time, but one day my father found out and flew into a rage. He kept going on about how I was a Schnee and shouldn't be seen to be performing such menial tasks. He fired the chef and I never saw him after, though a couple of months later a parcel arrived for me. When I opened it, it turned out to be a ragged old leather bound book in which he had hand written every recipe he knew. I kept it hidden from my father until I left for Beacon, I brought it with me and even to this day, It is my most prized of possessions." She explained. She looked saddened at the memory.

"Well he must have been amazing if he taught you to make things like this!" Ruby said with a grin before she resumed shovelling mounds of mashed potato into her mouth. Weiss chuckled and began to eat her own, albeit a little more ceremoniously than the others.

Not long after, Jaune stood and made his way around the room collecting the plates, when Weiss made an attempt to protest he silenced her with a wave of his hand. She sat back down and gave him a quizzical look.

"What? You cooked it, that means you get to sit back while we wash up. It's only fair." He said with a smile and headed into the kitchen. Setting the plates on the side he ran a bowl of hot soapy water. As he did, Ruby jumped to her feet and skipped out to help him.

"I'll help! You wash I'll break." She giggled and grabbed the tea towel from its place over the oven door handle.

With the two of them working together, Jaune cleaning the plates and Ruby using her semblance to dry and put them away, it didn't take long before they had finished the task. Heading back into the main room they found Pyrrha sat polishing her shield and Weiss curled up in her bed with a thick book in hand.

The knight staggered over to the bathroom and brushed his teeth. His fatigue finally catching up to him, he shuffled on dead feet over to his bed and collapsed on it. He allowed his body to bounce for a moment before worming his way up to the pillow and settling in for the night. Afterall they were due to head out to Forever Fall forest the next day and he had a feeling he would need all the rest that he could get. Closing his eyes he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p>The engines on their bullhead aircraft shrieked out as they burned sky and propelled them forwards. Blue azure sky passed by the small porthole windows as they flew, providing restrictive view of the ground below.<p>

For Jaune at that moment, the ground couldn't have possibly been close enough. They had only been flying for half an hour yet for him, curled up in the fetal position on the floor of their craft clutching at a small brown paper sick bag, it had felt like an eternity and couldn't possibly have ended soon enough.

The pitch of the engines changed and a slowing of their momentum could be felt as the aircraft settled into a hover as it might when going in for a landing.. This couldn't be right, the drop zone was still another half hour away by aircraft. Slowly the rear ramp on their craft crept open revealing the red canopy far below.

From a projection plate in the floor of the aircraft a hologram of Ozpin was played. He was stood back at Beacon in front of the great statue in the courtyard. On his face was set the same old knowing smirk that he always had. Holo-Ozpin took a drink of his coffee and cleared hie throat.

"Students, by now you have undoubtedly realised that something is up, and you are correct. You have been issued the task of retrieving a jar of sap from the trees in forever fall forest this is indeed still the case. As you may have noticed, the aircraft that you are all currently onboard have stopped prematurely. You will be disembarking a...little earlier than you perhaps intended. You shall be air dropped into the forest below you. Once you land, each team shall continue on with your pre-explained task; gather one jar of tree sap per student, the only difference is that this is now a survival exercise. Once these have been gathered you are to travel the remaining one hundred miles north where you will be picked up in two days and your jars counted. Details for your evacuation will be sent to your scrolls. You shall be graded according to your performance and how well you work within your teams. As always, the very best of luck."

The hologram cut out as he finished his speech. The students looked to one another with a groan. Was he serious? They actually had to jump out of a perfectly serviceable aircraft? It was madness. Jaune crept over to the loading ramp and looked out. Far below, some several thousand feet down was the forest canopy. No lakes to be seen to save him this time.

Once again the pitch of the engines change and the whole cabin began to tilt, slowly angling its way into the vertical so that the open hatch was directly below for them to fall through. Around him the students ran and buckled themselves into their seats to prevent their ejection from the aircraft.

Jaune's eyes darted around for an empty seat that he might buckle himself into even as the aircraft passed the fourty-five degree tilt. He caught sight of one to Weiss' side and threw himself at it, his arms stretched out in a desperate attempt to save himself from what he was sure would be certain death by falling.

His attempts were futile however, as the floor dropped away from below him and he had to fight against gravity. He hung in the air, a few scant inches from the harness he had been aiming for with his arm still outstretched. Looking around at his teammates with blinked at the members of his team hanging in their seats around him with something akin to helplessness as he began to fall. He passed straight through the open ramp screaming bloody murder.

"So will you be saving him again or shall I?" Weiss asked her teammates and rolled her eyes. The heiress drew Myrtenaster and unbuckled her seat restraints. With a sigh she slid off of her seat and out the open door followed in short order by both team BRNY and the rest of her own team.

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><p>The air roared as it whistled past the heiress' face and made her eyes smart yet it was the least of her problems. Narrowing her eyes she searched below her for any sign of her falling leader, any sign as to his presence.<p>

After a few tense moments of frantically looking, she found him. He appeared as little more than a speck below her, the closer she looked she found him flailing wildly as he somersaulted end over end is what she guessed to be a desperate attempt to right himself.

Holding Myrtenaster out above her head to increase her aerodynamics she settled into a vertical dive. The wind whistled past her as she flew past terminal velocity towards her falling leader. As she drew close she could hear his scream above the wind, high pitched and effeminate. As she closed the gap she threw her arms and leg out to either side, straining her shoulders as air resistance kicked in and slowed her down rapidly.

With as much haste as she could manage she tilted her body to manoeuvre herself to be directly above him. Once in place she tucked her limbs in again to speed her descent and dive straight for him. She held off for a few seconds for the opportune moment before completing the dived and locking her free arm around his waist.

With a flick of Myrtenaster, a string of glyphs appeared below between them and the rapidly approaching forest canopy. As they passed through each subsequent one their speed diminished rapidly. Finally, once their speed was sufficiently low she summoned another glyph of a different design, tilted on an angle. Her feet met with it and she kicked off towards another ready and waiting. Holding tightly onto her hapless leader the heiress skipped from glyph to glyph bringing both herself and a thoroughly astonished leader through the forest canopy and safely down to the ground.

They reached the forest floor safely and in one piece. Releasing her grip on the blonde, Weiss collapsed to her knees panting heavily with her chest heaving. The exertion both during free fall and in her efforts to slow two grown people down from near terminal velocity had placed a great deal more exertion on her that might have been expected.

A hand grasped her shoulder softly. Looking up she was met with the soft cerulean blue eyes of Jaune. He gave her a nervous smile and scratched the back of his head with his free hand,just as he always did when feeling bashful. In a way, the heiress couldn't help but find it a little endearing and calming, especially after the near death experience they had just shared.

"Thanks Weiss, You uh... You just saved my life, I thought I was a goner..." He said.

"That's...Alright Jaune... Its what... teammates do..." She managed to say in between breaths.

"Well, we made it... Guess we just have to wait for the others." He shrugged, motioning up to the sky. He shivered when he saw the tiny black speck of their aircraft countless thousands of feet above them. Weiss nodded and fought to bring her breathing back under control and to a steady level.

As it turned out, they didn't have long to wait before the next waves of students. Pyrrha was the first to join them, crashing through the branches overhead and dropping into a combat roll on one of the gnarled outcroppings close to the trunk. With a satisfied 'hmph' she caught sight of her team and dropped down to walk over to them.

"Remind me to work on developing your landing strategy." She giggled placing a finger on the very centre of his chest. The knight gulped nervously.

Ruby was the last to drop in, her arrival signified by a series of earth shattering gunshots as she used the recoil to rapidly slow her descent. At the last possible moment she threw the head of her over-sized scythe out in a wide arc and hooked it onto a low lying branch. She pan a couple of loops around it as her momentum dissipated. Once slow enough she unhooked and landed solidly on her feet by the others.

"Well, we all made it." Weiss said with a slight smile, clearly glad to have that over with.

"Well since its quiet, we should spread out and gather the sap. Stick in twos for safety, we don't know what's out the-"

He was cut short by a blood-chilling howl as several pairs of burning red eyes lit up in the darkness around them. Team JSPR drew into a tight circle, drawing their weapons and preparing themselves for battle.

A whole pack of Beowolves emerged from the trees around them and formed a solid ring of black fur and gnashing teeth around them some two deep. It was clear that they weren't just here to make friendly with them. Behind them was the great hulking figure of the pack alpha-male. A huge creature that must have been over ten feet tall with spikes the size of Jaune's whole arm protruding from its foreleg. The bone plate across its face had been rent in two leaving a wide scar underneath that extended the full length of its snout.

Jaune raised up his shield and settled into his 'ready stance' with practised ease after hours of Pyrrha's training. Crocea Mors' blade gleamed with a ruddy light as the sun shone through the red leaves above. He steadied his breathing and concentrated on the moment rather than his fears of what might be about to happen.

Thusly, when the first of them charged he was ready for it. He waited for his moment and brought Crocea Mors down in a sweeping arc, cleaving its skull in two and sending a fresh spray of gore into the air and staining the grass underfoot.

Before he could take the time to appreciate his kill, another was on him. The blonde ducked under a back handed stroke as one of the beasts sought to drive it's arm spikes through his head and neck. With a cold smile playing about his lips he span around and hacked the arm clean off with a blow just above the elbow, the monster gave a ear-piercing howl of pain before he drove his blade through its throat and silenced it permanently. He drew his sword out with a squelch sending droplets of blood flying and spattering across his face.

Taking a brief moment to look around the knight surveyed his teammates situations. All had turned to anarchy once the attack had begun, the circle they had been enclosed in was filled with the rapidly decaying corpses of the Grimm as well as those that had yet to fall. His team had been scattered to the four winds in the mayhem.

Ruby was over to one side, surrounded by a press of Grimm, though it was no problem for her. She danced around them with an expression of child-like joy, halving four of them with each subsequent swing of her gargantuan scythe, leaving mounds of fresh bodies all around her feet.

Weiss' combat style seemed a little more calculated than the reckless nature of her partner. She worked with a precision which was both impressive and frightening to watch, switching between the various dust canisters on her rapier without so much as a glance, working on memory alone. Dodging out of the way of a swiping paw she darted forward and hit the beast with a shot of fire, incinerating it in an instant and leaving nothing but ashes behind.

Finally he turned his attention to his own partner, she was hewing her foes to ribbons with a grace and fluidity that was terrifying to see. Every stroke of her weapon sounding the death-knell for another of the beasts. Her weapon itself seemed to constantly shift within the flow of battle, switching between its three forms whenever another would prove to be of a more advantageous nature.

Before he could watch on, a harsh roar erupted from beside him. A huge paw flew through the air and smote him in the side, launching him off and to the ground. He grunted on impact and scrambled back to his feet raising his shield. Peeking over the rim he just had time to throw himself out of the path of the rampaging alpha. The great wolf sprinted at him swiping at anything that go in its way, friend or foe.

He leapt into a roll and back to his feet, taking the time to drive his sword through the back of an unaware Grimm. Turning back around he watched with fear as the Alpha bore down on him again. It threw its arm at him from above in a wide arc. The knight ducked under his shield, his legs nearly buckling under the sheer force of the impact.

Underneath his shield he grunted and pushed back against the Alpha as it hammered relentlessly on his shield, the loud clangs triggering a ringing in his ears. Looking forward he saw the creatures exposed legs and with it, his opening.

Tightening the grip on his shield he drew his arm back and darted forward deflecting the monsters attack and setting it off balance. Before it had the chance to react Jaune had swung his sword in a mighty swing and hewed its leg off at the mid thigh. He felt the various tendons fray and snap as the razor sharp blade drove its way straight on through, thick black blood pouring from its open wound.

The creature reared up, screaming in pain and collapsed flailing violently, the loss of its leg ruining its balance. Jaune hesitated for a moment before leaping to drive Crocea Mors' point straight through its black heart.

With a sweep of its paw it caught him in mid air and sent him flying. He lost grip on his weapon on impact with the ground, sending it sailing out of his hand and embedding it in one of the nearby creatures, the Alpha in between him and it. Jaune groaned in pain, thanking his lucky stars for aura as he felt it kick in and begin to heal the bruises.

Left unarmed and with a flailing Alpha in front of him, he cast his eyes about for any kind of weapon. They landed on the severed leg of the Alpha, lying in a pool of blood. Protruding from just above the ankle joint were two long bone spikes, it wasn't pretty but it would do.

He ran forward, and grabbed it by the fur lifting it, soaking his clothes and besmirching his armour with the blood. He was surprised by the sheer weight of it. He hefted his grisly new weapon an charged at the beast. It looked at him with what looked to be horror as he gave a powerful swing driving the bone spines straight through its chest with a sickening crunch. There was a blood-curdling howl from the beast before the rage and hatred faded from its eyes and it lay still, dead.

All around him the remaining creatures turned to face their dead leader, pausing in their combat. With a collective howl they withdrew, some still falling to the attacks of the three huntresses as they retreated back into the woods, their tails between their legs.

"Well... that was fun..." Weiss sighed sarcastically as she made her way over to him. Followed closely by Ruby and Pyrrha. Together the three of them surveyed the decaying corpse of the alpha, its snout still twitching slightly.

"Did... did you just kill an Alpha Grimm with its own leg?" Ruby asked wide eyed in surprise.

"I-uh... yeah... I did." Jaune replied, just as surprised as the gravity of what he had done actually hit him.

"Where's your sword?" Pyrrha asked with a look of confusion. Jaune explained what had happened as he made his way over to where is sword lay, the corpse of the Grimm having vanished leaving nought but his sword and a sizeable blood stain in its place. He picked the blade up and wiped it clean on his jeans before sheathing it once again in his shield.

"For all our sakes, I think we had best hold off on the sap collection until we are in a more defensible location." the champion suggested when he returned. Jaune nodded and checked the GPS on his scroll, if they had a full hundred miles to cover by the next evening they would need to set off as soon as possible.

"We should get going or we'll never make it tomorrow." He sighed looking round at his team, the three girls nodded collectively and together they set off Northward. Their survival exercise had begun.

* * *

><p><strong>And there it was, I hope you like it. Leave me a review and let me know what you thought. Like I said I am super excited to really be able to knuckle down on this one and get to working. We see Jaune a little way into his training here so he's a little bit more competent in terms of his abilities. Next time we'll see them survive the nights together. I might introduce team BRNY in this arc and develop on their characters. Let me know what you think. As always, don't forget to favourite and follow if you enjoyed this, next update should be in about a weeks time.<strong>

**Thanks for reading and I'll see you all, in the next chapter.**


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